UN World Water Day 2012

World Water Day was declared an international day in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly and was first celebrated in 1993. Clean water is essential to the health and sustainability of the environment, people and agriculture. Increasing demand due to factors such as population growth is putting enormous pressure on this scarce but precious resource. Many natural resources are found in abundance in South Africa except for water, and it is this resource that is essential for all life forms on Earth. South Africa’s water supply is variable and distributed unevenly in time (frequent droughts alternate with periods of good rainfall) and space (the eastern half of the country is markedly wetter than the western half). The increase in demand for good quality water requires careful management.