World Water Day is an annual observance day on 22 March to highlight the importance of freshwater. It is also used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The first World Water Day, designated by the United Nations, was commemorated in 1993. 2018 marks the 25th anniversary of World Water Day. This year’s theme of World Water Day is ‘Nature for Water’ and exploring nature-based solutions (NBS) to the water challenges that we are currently facing.
Previous themes for the years 2015 to 2017 were "Water and Sustainable Development", "Water and Jobs'" and "Why waste water?" (which included aspects of wastewater and reuse). The focus on universal access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is in line with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6.
The UN World Water Development Report is released each year around World Water Day.
