World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of freshwater.
World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Every year, UN-Water — the UN’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation — sets the theme for World Water Day. In 2023, the focus was on Accelerating Change. In 2024, the theme will be Leveraging Water for Peace.Previous themes can be found here:
Themes
2024: World Water Day | Leveraging Water for Peace
- ACTIVATION KIT.
- CAMPAIGN TRELLO with social media resources in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- CERTIFICATE.
- FACTSHEET in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTER in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- SOCIAL MEDIA assets in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- VISUAL IDENTIFIER in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
2023: World Water Day | Accelerating Change
- BE THE CHANGE campaign website.
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTER inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTCARD in English.
- CAMPAIGN ANIMATION staring the hummingbird.
- CAMPAIGN TRELLO with social media resources in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
2022: World Water Day | Groundwater
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swahili.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swahili.
- CAMPAIGN ANIMATION -Groundwater: making the invisible visible.
- CAMPAIGN TRELLO with social media resources in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swahili.
2021: World Water Day | Valuing Water
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- CAMPAIGN ANIMATION - Do you value your water?
- CAMPAIGN TRELLO with social media resources in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
2020: World Water Day | Water and Climate Change
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- SOCIAL MEDIA CARDS.
- CAMPAIGN ANIMATION simple translator - Water can help help fight climate change,Everyone has a role to play andWe cannot afford to wait.
2019: World Water Day | Leaving No One Behind
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- SOCIAL MEDIA CARDS inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
- CAMPAIGN ANIMATION - Water is life, Where do you get your water? and Water for all in English, PortugueseandSpanish.
2018: World Water Day | The Answer is in Nature
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- SOCIAL MEDIA CARDS.
- CAMPAIGN ANIMATION - Nature For Water.
2017: World Water Day | Why Waste Water?
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- SOCIAL MEDIA CARDSinEnglish, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
- CAMPAIGN ANIMATION - Why Waste Water?
2016: World Water Day | Better Water, Better Jobs
- FACTSHEET inEnglish.
- POSTERinChinese, English, Frenchand Spanish.
- CAMPAIGN VIDEO.
- QUIZ -Better Water, Better Jobs.
2015: World Water Day | Water and Sustainable Development
- POSTERinEnglish.
- CAMPAIGN VIDEO -Water is Our World.
On 19 December 2014 the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution (A/RES/69/215) on the ’International Decade for Action, «Water for Life», 2005-2015’, calling to evaluate progress achieved in the implementation of the Decade and continue taking steps for achieving internationally agreed water-related goals. The resolution also invited the President of the UN General Assembly to convene a High-level Interactive Dialogue on the theme ’The International Decade for Action: Progress achieved and lessons learned relevant to the achievement of sustainable development'.
- Download the background document for the High-level Interactive Dialogue on the Water for Life Decade.
2014: World Water Day | Water and Energy
- FACTSHEET inEnglish, Frenchand Spanish.
- POSTERinEnglish, Frenchand Spanish.
2013: World Water Day | Water Cooperation
- FACTSHEET in English.
- INFOGRAPHIC on Water Cooperation.
- EDUCATIONAL POSTER- The Water Cycle.
2012: World Water Day | Water and Food Security
- FACTSHEET inEnglish, French, Italianand Spanish.
- POSTERinEnglish, French, Italian and Spanish.
- GAME and education kit-How much water?
2011: World Water Day | Water for Cities
- FACTSHEET inEnglish.
- POSTERinEnglish, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
2010: World Water Day | Water Quality
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
2009: World Water Day | Transboundary Waters
- FACTSHEET inArabic, Chinese, Englishand Swedish.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French,Spanish and Swedish.
2008: World Water Day | International Year of Sanitation
- FACTSHEET selectionin English.
- POSTERinEnglishand Spanish.
2007: World Water Day | Water Scarcity
- FACTSHEET inEnglish, Frenchand Spanish.
- POSTERinArabic, Chinese, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
2006: World Water Day | Water and Culture
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
2005: World Water Day | Water for Life 2005-2015
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
2004: World Water Day | Water and Disasters
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
2003: World Water Day | Water for the Future
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
2002: World Water Day | Water for Development
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
2001: World Water Day | Water for Health, Taking Charge
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
2000: World Water Day | Water for the 21st Century
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
1999: World Water Day | Everyone Lives Downstream
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
1998: World Water Day | Groundwater, the Invisible Resource
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
1997: World Water Day | The World’s Water, Is There Enough?
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
1996: World Water Day | Water for Thirsty Cities
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
1995: World Water Day | Women and Water
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
1994: World Water Day | Caring for Water Resources is Everybody’s Business
World Water Day was celebrated around the world through various events.
Contact us
For questions, contact us on: campaigns@unwater.org mentioning [World Water Day] in the subject heading.
World Water Day 2024: Leveraging Water for Peace
Water can be a tool for peace when communities and countries cooperate over this precious shared resource.
But, water can also spark and intensify conflict when access is denied and usage unfairly shared.
World Water Day 2024 is about working together to balance everyone’s needs, with a dedication to ensure no one is left behind, to make water a catalyst for a more peaceful world.
Campaign Resources
What’s next?
2025 will focus on glaciers, coinciding with the International Year of Glacier Preservation. 2026 will concentrate on water and sanitation’s role in gender equality. 2027 will explore the connection between water, sanitation and health.
