Reserves of potable water are rapidly shrinking

On the occasion of 22^nd March, the World Water Day Centre for Development and Support Tuzla, Green Action Zagreb, Ecological Coalition of the Una River Basin from Bihać/Prijedor and Green Dream from Vinkovci appeal to all relevant institutions, organisations and individuals to protect and care for water resources more responsibly and diligently to ensure availability of this invaluable natural resources to future generations as well.

We need to be aware that water resources are not unlimited and that potable water reserves are shrinking rapidly. Increase of population on Earth, faster development of industrial and agricultural production, as well as higher living standards are the main causes to the current situation. In the years to come and with large natural disasters, water will be one of the main environmental, economic and health issues. There is no life without water.

Since 1993, 22^nd March has been celebrated as the World Water Day. This date has been adopted by the Resolution of the United Nations in December 1992, and is celebrated throughout the world in order to direct the particular attention to the issue of water preservation. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the years 2005 – 2015 as the international decade of the action “Water for life” with the main aim to promote the activities related to resolution of water issues. According to UN information, about one million people have no access to pure and healthy water.

Therefore, Centre for Development and Support, Green Action, EKUS and Green Dream, the initiators of the Sava River Basin Coalition, wish to emphasise again the importance of water as natural wealth, closely related to health, biodiversity and energy. Without preservation of water and progress in the development of current status, other UN millennium development goals will not be achieved either.

Centre for Development and Support, Green Action, EKUS and Green Dream will work intensively, through the project „Moving towards successful public participation in the Sava River Basin water management“on education of general public about importance of water preservation, and will animate as large public participation as possible in development and implementation of the water management plans in Sava River Basin, with financial support of the European Union through IPA funds.