WORLD WATER DAY MARCH-22 REPORT FROM COUNTRIES

WORLD WATER DAY MARCH-22

REPORT FROM COUNTRIES

In celebration of World Water Day today, hundreds of thousands of people will be walking for Water and Sanitation all over the world to demand an end to the water and sanitation crisis! Today’s walks will follow on from the amazing success of walks over the last few days in Zambia, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, UK, Sudan, Greece and Mozambique and other countries.In Belgium, an incredible 21,270 school children are walking a combined total of 133,151km today in celebration of World Water Day. The children from over 130 schools will be walking a combined distance over a third of that from the Earth to the moon! In Madagascar an amazing 40,000 people are expected to join the Diorama-WASH Coalition across 7 regions today, including on their Walk in the capital Antananarivo, where the Minister of Water, Health and Education will be taking part! They will be calling for action to address the 3 walks organized by WASH-Net Sierra Leone, calling on politicians to pledge to improve access to Water and Sanitation as part of their political priorities this election year! SOS Malta is also walking together with over 2,000 school children and members of the local community in Sliema today!

On the eve of World Water Day-2012, FANSA Kerala Chapter celebrated with our Walk for Water and Sanitation, as well as various activities including, Seminars, Street-play, and cultural events with poetry readings by 20 eminent malayalam poets on "rivers, streams, lakes, rain, water, hygiene and waste”.The events were conducted in 20 different locations of Kerala with the participationof 50 grass-root organizations. Elected representatives of local bodies (Panchayats) were invited to join the “Walks for Water and Sanitation”, which were conducted towards places of significance including Offices of District administration, Panchayat head quarters (PRIs), places of historical significance, on the bank of rivers, lakes, parks etc. Groups of activists walked carrying placards with messages on the importance of water and sanitation to get the attention of local administration, State and national administration and demand political change to address the crisis; and above all to get the attention of the community as a whole, to change their attitude and approach to water and sanitation. Many young people from educational institutions participated in the ‘Walks for Water and Sanitation’, and altogether, 5000 people from different walks of life participated in Kerala under the auspicious of FANSA- Kerala Chapter. The Walks were very colorful with traditional drums (Chenda melam) and other cultural performance attracting much media attention. In Kollam district of Kerala, 20 eminent Malayalam (local language) Poets participated in the cultural events, reading poems on "rivers, streams, lakes, rain, water, hygiene and water pollution, all emphasizing that “water is a life sustaining resource”.

Seminars were also conducted in five districts in Kerala on the eve of World Water Day 2012, on different aspects of water and sanitation with presentations made by experts in the area followed by discussions. “Oaths” were made by all participants on the protection and preservation of water bodies and resolutions were passed against “open defecation’ and “dumping of waste in open”. “Street-play” was also an important component of the event in small towns and villages in order to exhibit the importance of water and sanitation to local communities. Two books on water and climate change were also released to mark the occasion.Overall it was a very exciting and successful day of walks and accompanying events all over Kerala demanding change to address the water and sanitation crisis!

TheWalks began on the 17th March in Madurai, Tamilnadu in coordination with SWEED, with 400 women walking 2km; an event which they repeated to mark the end of the campaign on the 25th March! This first walk was followed by a 3Km walk in Sinkamanapuri onthe 19th March with 400 local women walking in coordination with SWOT, and on the 21st march with 212 local children walking 2km with the VAIGAI organisation in Sirunaykkanpatty to highlight how the water and sanitation crisis affects children disproportionately.On the 22nd March to mark World Water Day 2012, an amazing 610 local farmers walked 10KM in Trichy with the local farmers' association! This special day was also marked by FANSA Tamil Nadu Chapter with various activities including rallies on the important issues of water, hygiene, waste and water policy on the eve of World Water Day

The World Walks for Water and Sanitation takes place during Nepal National Water Week 2012 and Walks were organized by Water Aid and their partner FEDWASUN in fourteen districts in This week, Australians will walk in every state and territory calling on the Australian Government to put an end to the water and sanitation crisis. In Melbourne, 600 students from Blackburn High School will walk a combined total of 3,000 kms – that is the equivalent of Melbourne to Brisbane and then back again!

In South Australia, the main water utility company, SA Water, will encourage all staff to take a walk for water and sanitation during their World Water Day lunch break. Combined with students walking from Adelaide University there should be a lot of activity in South Australia!

Brisbane walkers have battled local Council permit requirements to bring together over 200 staff and supporters to walk through the CBD.Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Richard Marles, will ask all politicians to wear a ‘World Walks for Water and Sanitation’ badge in Parliament on 22 March 2012.In Australia’s region, two countries directly affected by the water and sanitation crisis, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, will see a combined total of 500 people walking for water and sanitation this week too!

Walk for Water and Sanitation Rally on 12th February, where over 1,500 members of the rural, mainly dalit communities of Anantapur district united in Anantapur city, Andhra Pradesh demanding legislation for the essential right to Water and Sanitation! Our Water and Sanitation demands were put forward in combination with our demand for an increase in the minimum wage, allowing us to successfully involve a greater number of people in Water and Sanitation issues. A week after our rally, the Government of Andhra Pradesh passed an order increasing wages in the rural employment scheme, giving us high hopes for future success as the result of our campaign for water and sanitation!

                                                    Prof. John Kurakar