Did
You Know series (40): World Water Day (WWD): March 22nd is designated
WWD every year since 1993 by UNGA: Theme – 2017: “Why Waste Water”? A Silver 5
Euro Coin issued by the Treasury of the Republic of San Marino on 26.06.2017:
What
is World Water Day?:
In 1993, the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) officially designated March 22 as World
Water Day.
World Water Day is
observed on 22nd March every year, in accordance
with the UN Mandate and focuses on generating awareness about taking action to
tackle the water crisis. It is co-ordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with
governments and partners.
The Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) launched in 2015 by UN- Water, include a target to
ensure everyone has access to safe water by 2030, making water a key issue in
the fight to eradicate extreme poverty.
SDG target 6.3 specifies
that by 2030 the target is to “improve water quality by reducing
pollution, eliminating dumping and minimising release of hazardous chemicals
and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially
increasing recycling and safe reuse globally”.
Progress towards target
6.3 will also help achieve the SDGs on health and well-being (SDG 3),
safe water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7),
sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), life below water (SDG 14) and life
on land (SDG 15), among others.
Hard
Facts:
Globally, over 80% of
the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without
being treated or reused.
663 million people
still lack improved drinking water resources.
About 1.8 billion
people across different nationalities use a source of drinking water
contaminated with faeces, waste material etc. putting them at risk of
contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. Unsafe water, poor
sanitation and hygiene cause around 842,000 deaths each year.
By 2050, close to
70% of the planet’s population will live in cities, compared to 50% today.
Currently, most cities in developing countries do not have adequate
infrastructure and resources to address wastewater management in an efficient
and sustainable way.
The opportunities from
exploiting wastewater as a resource are enormous. Safely managed wastewater
is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other
recoverable materials.
The costs of wastewater
management are greatly outweighed by the benefits to human health, economic
development and environmental sustainability – providing new business
opportunities and creating more “green” jobs.
Due to population growth,
accelerated urbanisation and economic development, the quantity of
wastewater generated and its overall pollution load are increasing globally,
so much so, that wastewater management is being seriously neglected, wastewater
is grossly undervalued as a potentially affordable and sustainable source of
water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials. It is therefore
needed to be seen as a resource, rather than a burden to be disposed of.
By 2030, global
demand for water is expected to grow by 50%, with most of the demand being
in cities which will require new approaches to wastewater collection and
management.
There are many treatment
processes and operational systems that will allow us to use wastewater to
meet the growing water demand in growing cities, support sustainable
agriculture, and enhance energy production and industrial development.
Theme
– 2017: “Why waste water”?
The theme of the 2017
campaign is “Why waste water”? The campaign is about reducing and
reusing wastewater.
Globally, the vast
majority of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture
flows back to nature without being treated or reused – polluting the
environment and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.
Instead of wasting
wastewater, there is an urgent need to reduce and reuse it. In our
homes, we can reuse greywater on our gardens and plots.
In our cities, we can treat
and reuse wastewater for green spaces. In industry and agriculture, we can
treat and recycle discharge for things like cooling systems and
irrigation.
By exploiting this
valuable resource, the water cycle will work more efficiently for every living
thing. Everyone’s participation will help achieve the Sustainable
Development Goal 6 (SDG6) target to halve of the proportion of untreated
wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.
Wastewater
and the water cycle:
Water has to be carefully
managed during every part of the water cycle – from fresh water abstraction,
pre-treatment, distribution, use, collection and post-treatment, to the use of
treated wastewater and its ultimate return to the environment, ready to be
abstracted to start the cycle again.
The
Commemorative Coin issued on 26.06.2017:
I was very pleased to know
that a small country like the Republic of San Marino, (an enclaved micro-state surrounded by Italy, situated on the Italian Peninsula, on the North-east side of the Appennine mountains and having an area of about 61 sq. Kilometres or 24 Sq. miles and population of around 35,000 citizens), has brought the issue of wastewater
management to the fore by bringing out this beautifully designed coin on 26.06.2017.
The Banca Centrale della Repubblica di San Marino has issued its
annual Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) set of Euro-denominated divisional coins,
including a new silver collector coin available only in the set.
The 8 coins include 2 Euro
to 1 Euro cent denominations.
The theme for the
presentation, as well as, for the silver collector coin is water preservation
and its sustainability.
The Reverse of the Silver 5 Euro coin
The Reverse of the 5 Euro Silver coin is dedicated to the World
Water Day annual event, designated by the UN in 1993. It depicts a heart
with the cycle of water, which symbolises a careful management of water.
The design consists of a stylised representation of the actual water cycle
– from precipitation, to the oceans, to evaporation, enclosed within the shape
of a heart symbolising a careful and planned management of water.
The Obverse of the Silver 5 Euro coin
The Obverse of the 5 Euro Silver coin shows a stylised depiction
of San Marino’s three towers, located on the three peaks of Monte Titano
in the capital and a traditional motif on San Marinese coinage.
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination
of coin: 5
Euros; Metallic composition:
Silver: .925; Weight: 18.0
grams; Diameter/Size: 32.0
mm; Maximum mintage: 13,000
complete sets; Minted at: Rome’s IPZS (or the “Italian State Mint”) on behalf
of the Treasury of San Marino; Date
of issue: 26.06.2017; Designer:
Obverse & Reverse: Andrew Lewis (Canadian); Edge: Milled. Coin
Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU).
General
Remarks: The 5 Euro Silver coin will be the centre-piece in a
set of 8 divisional coins – released annually by the Treasury of San Marino.
The 8 divisional coins set in which the 5 Euro Silver Coin depicting the theme of careful management of water is the centre-piece
Some postersreleased byUN-Water bringing attention to conserving/careful management of water resources:
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