9 Beyond World Water Day—keeping up the momentum!
World Water Day should not be the only advocacy effort of the year!
World Water Day should be a catalyst for bringing together new partners, generating media interest and mobilizing resources that can build on throughout the year. The World Water Day planning committee can continue to meet throughout the year on water and health as a taskforce to keep the issues at the forefront and to build momentum towards the next World Water Day! Every year the theme changes, but the theme is always broad enough to adapt to particular water interests.
An excellent way to raise awareness about World Water Day, and increase your programme's visibility, is to highlight water and health issues throughout the year. You can work with the organizers of other commemorative days such as World Health Day or national commemorative days. You can contribute to the preparation of “their” special events and vice-versa.
Other international days and events to celebrate are:
| 7 April | World Health Day |
| 23 March | World Meteorological Day |
| 5 June | World Environment Day |
| 17 June | World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought |
| 11 July | World Population Day |
| 17 October | International Day for Eradication of Poverty |
| 9 October | Inter-American Water day |
| 20 November | Universal Children's Day |
Make a splash on world water day!
50 ways of celebrating and promoting the Day
- ‘Save our Water’ concert
- Advertising spots on television
- Banners with a strong message for WWD
- Booklets
- Brochures
- Calls for donations in newspapers
- Children's drawing competition
- Comic strip books about WWD
- Commemorative advertisements placed in newspapers
- Commemorative mugs, or glasses to be sold
- Compile a song book with a water theme
- Create and distribute CD Roms
- Create Water and Health greeting cards
- Drama groups perform plays on WWD
- Film shows on water and health
- Flags promoting the day in your city
- Flyers highlighting the day
- Government statements
- Information events at workplaces
- Involve medical students in research
- Journalist award for the best article written on water and health
- Leaflets
- Make a compilation of your/committee's favourite songs on health
- Make a compilation of your/committee's favourite songs on water
- Marathon runs with entry fees and sponsorship
- Media workshops for journalists
- Music videos
- New book releases
- North/South Cooperation
- Performances by musicians and artists to raise money or awareness
- Photo competitions
- Picture exhibitions on issues of water and health
- Pins and stickers to be distributed amongst the community to promote the day
- Postcards to members of parliament
- Poster exhibitions in banks, schools, civic centres
- Prepare a documentary
- Public service announcement on radio
- Public service announcements on TV
- Publicise WWD through a ‘blue and white’ party
- Role plays on water and health issues written and performed by students
- Round-table talks on a specific them related to water
- Run a quizz on water with sponsored prizes
- Scientific conferences
- Slogan competitions
- Special water and health stamps or franking by Post Office.
- Sponsor a film
- Stickers with WWD logo
- Swimming competitions to promote the event
- University lectures
- Websites with information about WWD.