Washington, DC - Today, March 22nd, is World Water Day (WWD), a day to celebrate one of the world’s most precious resources and to raise awareness around global water issues. Only a small portion of the earth's water is freshwater suitable for human use — about 70 percent of that available freshwater is consumed for agricultural use, including crop irrigation and livestock, 22 percent for industry, and 8 percent for residential use.

Every year, WWD coincides with the release of the World Water Development Report by the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This year’s theme, "Nature for Water," focuses on innovative strategies for water management that are based on natural systems, and uncovers various nature-based solutions for water management. For example, the creation of natural buffers in cities between sources of water runoff and natural waterways can improve the water quality of rivers and streams. In general, the restoration of forests, grasslands, wetlands, floodplains, and other natural ecosystems would greatly increase the amount of freshwater that is available around the world.

This year, in honor of World Water Day, we encourage you to take some time to learn more about protecting this precious resource. BCFN has also highlighted several small actions that we can each take to reduce our personal water footprints. We challenge you to take a stand and advocate for nature-based solutions for water management in your community.