March 20, 2023

Be the Change - World Water Day 2023

Right now the world faces a water and sanitisation crisis.

There is an ancient story that originated with the Quechua people in Peru about a Hummingbird which can teach us a lot about how we respond in a crisis.

One day in the forest, a fire broke out. All the animals ran for their lives. They stood at the edge of the blaze, looking at the flames in terror and sadness.

Up above their heads, a hummingbird was flying back and forth to the fire, over and over again.

The bigger animals asked the hummingbird what she was doing.
“I am flying to the lake to get water to help put out the fire.”

The animals laughed at her and said, “You can’t put out this fire!”

The hummingbird replied, “I’m doing what I can.”

The Hummingbird is helping to solve the problem by doing the small things that they can do, just one drop at a time.

The Hummingbird is being the change it wants to see in the world.

You can be the change this World Water Day

Right now we face a global water crisis. Billions of people and countless schools, businesses, healthcare centres, farms and factories are being held back because their basic human right to access water and sanitation have not yet been fulfilled.

Governments need to work 4x faster to meet their promise to bring safely managed water and sanitisation by 2030. But it doesn’t stop at governments – we all have a role to play, just like the Hummingbird. Water affects everyone, so everyone needs to take action.

You can make a difference by changing the way you use, consume and manage water in your day-to-day life.

Take Action to Save Water

Save Water

Take shorter showers, turn off the tap whilst brushing your teeth, fix leaking pipes, install a water butt in your garden for summer months.

Eat Local

Buy local, seasonal food and look for products made with less water.

Protect Nature

Plant a tree or create a raingarden – use natural solutions to store water.

Reduce Pollution

Don’t put oil, food waste or medicines it drains. Reduce your plastic consumption to stop micro-plastics contaminating fresh water supplies.

Clean up

Take part in clean-ups of beaches, rivers and lakes.

Turn off sleeping tech

It is estimated that 90% of power generation is water intensive. Turn off your devices when you don’t need it – you’ll save money and water!

Share on social media

Use your voice to talk about world water day – get involved and help generate the buzz it needs to get people to take actions.

Shop Sustainably

An average pair of jeans takes 10,000 litres of water to produce – that’s equal to what a person might drink in 10 years. Shop second-hand or choose sustainable options.

Refill & Reuse

Wherever possible, opt for refillable solutions such as water bottles and cleaning products. Reduce the amount of water locked up in supermarket shelves and warehouses.

Learn more about World Water Day and what action you can take.