What does water mean to you? In honor of World Water Day, we are all asked to consider the importance of water in our homes, livelihoods, cultural practices, general well-being, and our local environments. By having these conversations, we can celebrate the many ways water improves our lives, recognize its value, and safeguard it for everyone.
Essential to Life
There is no arguing that water is essential to all living things. We need clean water to drink for our health and hygiene. As gardeners, we can appreciate how badly our plants need it as well.
Beyond being necessary for life, water is so many different things. It signifies dignity and productivity. It can mean peace, harmony, and preservation.
Taking Water for Granted
Many of us take for granted that we will have fresh water every time we turn on a tap. But will we? It’s a question I often ask myself, and I have taught my kids that water is a precious resource never to be wasted.
According to the United Nations, 2.2 billion people already live without access to safe water.
World Water Day aims to educate us all about the extreme threat water faces from a growing population, destructive agriculture and industry practices, and the terrifying impact of climate change.
By talking about what water means to us, we get a clearer picture of how badly we depend on it, and we can also start thinking of ways to preserve it.
Ways To Save Water
- Take shorter showers
- Turn the taps off when washing dishes or brushing teeth
- Collect water from showerheads in buckets as you wait for it to warm up and use it on your plants later.
- Rain barrels can offer a steady supply of nitrogen-rich water for outdoor gardens.
- Forget about using sprinklers in the summertime
- Stop using toxic chemicals that can leach into and contaminate groundwater.
Get in on the conversation and share what water means to you on social media. Be sure to tag your post with #WorldWaterDay and Water2me.