National Water Week, 21 - 27 March 2005

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
South Africa, 21 Mar 05

National Water Week 2005

National Water Week campaign is seen as an awareness week which serves as a powerful campaign mechanism re-iterating the value of water, the need for sustainable management of this scarce resource and the role water plays in eradicating poverty and under-development in South Africa.

This campaign is coupled with the responsibility that every citizen must take in ensuring the integrity of our water resources and its efficient use with special focus on health and hygiene issues. Particularly, the linkages between water services, supply, resource management, poverty eradication, social and economic development are emphasised in a number of innovative ways.

Theme and related issues

The theme for the 2005 Celebrations is "Water for life". The proposed theme has been influenced by local and international sectoral trends. The General Assembly proclaimed the period from 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action, " Water for Life", commencing on World Water Day, 22 March 2005. It welcomed the decision of the Commission on Sustainable Development to consider water, sanitation and human settlements as the thematic cluster in the first cycle, 2004-2005. National Water Week 2005 will therefore be celebrated with activities in connection with this proclamation.

With this theme the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry intends highlighting the role that water has played in improving the social and economic lives of South Africans.

The following sub-themes will be highlighted:

* Access to basic water supply and free basic water
* Reducing water borne diseases
* Sanitation - a vital link to health and hygiene
* Water's contribution to economic development
* Water Conservation
* Water for resource poor farmers
* Combating alien vegetation
* Ensuring the cleanliness and the integrity of our water resources.

More information is available on the Department's National Water Week web page at http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Events/WaterWeek/2005/default.asp.

Contact: Babs Naidoo <bda@dwaf.gov.za>