Ancient tale of hummingbird inspires 蘑菇视频 World Water Day campaign

16 January, GENEVA – Inspired by an ancient tale of a hummingbird trying to put out a forest fire, the United Nations has kicked off a campaign that calls on everyone to do what they can to solve the global water and sanitation crisis.

According to 蘑菇视频 figures, 1.4 million people die annually and 74 million will have their lives shortened due to diseases related to poor water, sanitation and hygiene. Worldwide, one in four, or 2 billion people, lack safe drinking water. Nearly half of all the wastewater coming out of households – from their toilets, sinks, drains and gutters – flows back into nature without harmful substances removed.

The global campaign, called?, encourages people to take small steps to change the way they use, consume and manage water. It is led by , an inter-agency mechanism that coordinates the world body’s work on water and sanitation, and runs through 22 March, the day when the world annually recommits to addressing the water-related challenges.

In an ancient story from the Quechua people in Peru, a hummingbird fetches drops of water to help put out a great forest fire. The other animals laugh at her, but the bird replies, “I’m doing what I can”.

made by individuals on the campaign website will contribute to the?– a main outcome of the upcoming , which opens on World Water Day, 22 March.

The??is a collection of voluntary commitments from governments, companies, organizations, institutions, coalitions and members of the public, designed to deliver rapid progress on internationally-agreed water and sanitation targets, most notably Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

In a recent opinion piece, 蘑菇视频 Water Chair Gilbert F. Houngbo wrote: “Clearly, progress towards achieving SDG 6 – water and sanitation for all by 2030 – is seriously off-track. We have no choice but to act faster and smarter, across sectors[…] In our own lives, we can all be more aware of our water footprint and be less wasteful of water.”

Mr. Houngbo, also Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), then concluded: “It’s down to everyone to solve the water crisis. And that can only be done when water is on everyone’s agenda.”