Venue: Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Center, Durban, South Africa
Date: 22 - 24 March 2017
Once again the world will converge in South Africa, Durban on 22 March in celebration of the annual World Water Day, under the theme “Wastewater: The Untapped Resource" which is intended to highlight the plight of the global population still suffering from water and sanitation related issues. The activities of the celebrations will amongst others include:
- The Launch of the 2017 United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) titled “Wastewater: The Untapped Resource”.
- The unveiling of the initiative of the United Nations/World Bank High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) on "Access to water and sanitation for 10 Billion people" to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular Goal 6.
- The adoption of the political Declaration on World Water Day 2017.
Africa's rising population is driving demand for water and accelerating the degradation of water resources. In Africa, especially sub Saharan Africa, more than a quarter of the population spends more than half an hour per round trip to collect water, which has dire implications for women and children. According to the World Health Organisation, 115 people in Africa die every hour from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene and contaminated water. A lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation still kills more children than malaria, measles and HIV/AIDS combined.
Based on the above to the World Water Day, the celebrations are extended to feature a 2 day Regional Water Summit and Expo, which will focus on the following:
- Broader water and sanitation challenges facing the continent.
- Celebrating high impact projects that have improved service delivery.
- Sharing best practice from local and international experts.
- Reviewing progress made in improving access to water and sanitation.
- Showcasing the latest technologies and solutions for key water challenges.
- Shaping and influencing the water discourse in the continent in line with the SDGs. countries policy direction on water and sanitation.
