This past Saturday, March 22nd, marked “World Water Day 2014”. World Water Day is about what you will do in 2014 and beyond to promote sustainable practices in the realm of water and energy. Below are five key messages outlined by the United Nations to raise awareness on these highly valued and necessary resources:
1. Water requires energy and energy requires water
Water is required to produce nearly all forms of energy. Energy is needed at all stages of water extraction, treatment and distribution.
2. Supplies are limited and demand is increasing
Demand for freshwater and energy will continue to increase significantly over the coming decades. This increase will present big challenges and strain resources in nearly all regions, especially in developing and emerging economies.
3. Saving energy is saving water. Saving water is saving energy
Choices concerning the supply, distribution, price, and use of water and energy impact one another.
4. The “bottom billion” urgently needs access to both water and sanitation services, and electricity
Worldwide, 1.3 billion people cannot access electricity, 768 million people lack access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people have no improved sanitation. Water and energy have crucial impacts on poverty alleviation.
5. Improving water and energy efficiency is imperative as are coordinated, coherent and concerted policies
Better understanding between the two sectors of the connections and effects on each other will improve coordination in energy and water planning, leading to reducing inefficiencies. Policy-makers, planners and practitioners can take steps to overcome the barriers that exist between their respective domains. Innovative and pragmatic national policies can lead to more efficient and cost effective provision of water and energy services.
Peace Boat’s Effort to promote Socially Responsible Ecotourism
Peace Boat participants exploring Tahitian waters with local community members.
Peace Boat voyages creates a unique environment in which people can live, learn and relax together while visiting some of the most fascinating regions on earth. During each voyage, Peace Boat organizes a range of educational activities, including conferences by guest educators, workshops, lectures, language classes and cultural programs. The themes of these activities link Peace Boat’s fields of work with contemporary issues in the countries we visit, connecting participants with people around the world.
Peace Boat strives to practice a progressive form of travel which aims to benefit people and communities at the local level as well as create a more meaningful and educational travel experience based on people-to-people exchange for participants. Our goal is to continuously identify and implement new practices that will help a better redistribution of the income generated through our travel/tourist activities towards our NGO or grassroots partners. We also hope to contribute to sustainable development projects and better understand and minimize our impact on the environment while linking local issues to the global context and learning first hand how we can positively impact these issues.
To learn more about World Water Day and how it was celebrated around the world, visithttp://www.flickr.com/groups/wwd2014events/
By Trixie Cordova