by Margaret Mair

Created on: March 14, 2009   Last Updated: March 24, 2009

In the same week that the 2009 World Water Forum took place the number of known new cases of cholera in Zimbabwe dropped from a high of about 8,000 a week to about 2,000 a week. Cholera is spread by water contaminated with human waste, and the ending of the rainy season meant that the disease was not spreading as quickly. Unfortunately the fall in the number of new cases was good news only because of the size of the outbreak, an outbreak which effective water and sewage management would have prevented or curtailed.

Because it is water-borne the disease had spread beyond Zimbabwe into neighboring countries. The collapse of Zimbabwe's water, sanitation and health systems not only fueled the cholera outbreak within its border but had consequences felt across national boundaries. Those other nations needed to be able to work with Zimbabwe to keep the water supplies for their own citizens life-sustaining and healthy.

In Istanbul the World Water Forum wrapped up on International World Water Day. Celebrated annually on March 22, this is a day for people and governments around the world to focus on the importance of fresh and coastal waters and to advocate for their sustainable management. This year's World Water Day focused on the co-operation needed to safeguard this very precious resource, including building frameworks that will allow people and countries around the world to develop the knowledge and find the resources they need to work together. The changes in climate that are now affecting water resources make the need for co-operation even stronger.

International World Water Day is also an opportunity to recognise the work being co-ordinated under the aegis of UN-Water. This body knits together the work of the United Nations agencies, departments and programs involved in the many different levels and contexts of water-related issues, as well as that of major non-UN partners working toward the same water management goals. This year UNESCO, in its role of promoting international co-operation in education, science, culture and communication, and UNECE, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, were the lead agencies.

At the Forum groups brainstormed, discussed techniques, shared knowledge and assessed progress. Around the world, World Water Day was marked with symposia, forums, conventions, concerts, exhibitions, talks, discussions and celebrations, all focused the importance of working together to manage this precious resource, the necessity of encouraging such co-operation, and the importance of learning about it. After all this, on World Water Day ministers from governments around the world chose to recognise water as a basic human need, rather than a human right. Hopefully we can take that at least as a step toward more governments recognizing that healthy waterways are needed to support healthy economies, healthy lives and a healthy environment.

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