by Colette Georgii

Created on: March 14, 2009   Last Updated: November 21, 2009

World Water Day 2009 with an emphasis on transboundary waters is celebrated around the world on March 22, 2009. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) designated the first World Water Day as March 22, 1993. World Water Day has been celebrated every year since and each year there is a new theme on some aspect of Water importance. This year the theme is Shared Water - Shared Responsibility with a focus on Transboundary Waters.

Awareness goals

Goals of World Water Day 2009 primarily focus on how countries can cooperate in international water management for their shared rivers and aquifers or transboundary waters.

Transboundary waters refers to the many river basins and aquifers that are shared by more than one country. Many are shared by two or more countries. Some are shared by up to 18 countries. There are

* 263 transboundary river basins

* 274 transboundary aquifers

* 145 countries with shared river basins

* 33 nations with up to 95 percent of their territory in international river basins

* 13 river basins shared by 5 to 8 countries

* 9-11 countries that share the Congo, Nile, Niger, Rhine, and the Zambezi river basins

* 18 countries that share the Danube

International water law focuses on

* rights and obligations between states (countries)

* management of transboundary resources

* prevention of conflict

* promotion of cooperation in shared water resources

Lead agencies

The lead agencies involved with World Water Day 2009 are the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNCECE); and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Overview: World events

World events will be taking place in Istanbul, the Netherlands, Tufts University (USA), Malaysia, Italy, Switzerland, Chile, Brazil, the International Water Institute (Stockholm, Sweden), University of Applied Sciences ( Finland), and Poland.

Deutsch Bank World Water Day takes place in New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Sidney.

In Marlow, England money is being raised for the Africa Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The European Society of Waterless Car Washing takes place in Italy, Switzerland, and Canada.

Our Water, Our Life takes place at British University in Egypt.

Other events are scheduled in Mexico, India, Spain, California (USA), Pembroke Pines in Florida (USA), Colombia, Greece, Pakistan, The Water Resource Center at King Abdulaziz

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