Belmopan, March 22, 2023.
The Ministry of Natural Resources, Petroleum and Mining, and its partner agencies join the world in celebrating World Water Day. World Water Day is a United Nations Observance every year on March 22. It started in 1993 and celebrates water while raising awareness of the billions of people currently living without access to safe water. A core focus of World Water Day is to inspire action toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Accelerating Change.” It focuses on taking action on an individual, community, national and international basis to protect water resources. Accelerating change will require that everyone takes specific and deliberate steps. This World Water Day is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. Water affects everyone; it is important to take action also, as families, schools, and communities can make a difference by changing how water is used, consumed, and managed.
Some of the actions that can be taken include saving and using water conservatively; stopping pollution of the country’s waters; taking part in clean-ups of local rivers, lakes, wetlands, and beaches; and planting a tree or creating a rain garden. These are natural solutions to reduce the risk of flooding. Belize is a country considered to be rich in water resources. However, like many other low-lying coastal nations, Belize is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, being exposed to the risk of rising sea levels that threaten the country’s water resources.
To celebrate this year’s World Water Day, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Petroleum and Mining and its partners will be engaged in several activities that will bring awareness and empowerment to the Belizean population to help accelerate change to save water resources. These activities are:
1. Media appearances on morning talk shows countrywide
2. The World Water Day Award
3. A radio trivia challenge on Love FM
4. Water Summit 2023 at the Best Western Biltmore Plaza Hotel
5. World Water Day Fair at The Best Western Biltmore Plaza Hotel
Members of the World Water Day Planning Committee and sponsors include the National Hydrological Service in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining, and Petroleum; Ministry of Health & Wellness; Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government; Department of the Environment in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management; Public Utilities Commission; Belize Water Services Limited; FORTIS BELIZE; the University of Belize; and RW Water Solutions.
The Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, is committed to protecting Belize’s water resources from pollution and using it sustainably to balance the needs of people and the planet. This World Water Day, the ministry urges everyone to take some time to reflect on what they can do on an individual basis to protect and preserve water. The ministry recognizes that dysfunction throughout the water cycle is undermining progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, and disaster to peace. Therefore, the ministry encourages rapid and transformative change on the part of everyone. Every action – no matter how small – will make a difference.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr. Troy H. Coleman
Public Relations Officer
pr.officer@naturalresources.gov.bz
822-0667
