Since 1992, when the International Conference on Water and the Environment was held, World Water Day has been celebrated every March 22nd to raise awareness of the importance of water for the development of life and the individual.
As every March 22, World Water Day is commemorated and celebrated. In the 2019 edition, the slogan chosen by the UN is Leave no one behind, because water is a fundamental element for sustainable development worldwide. Leave no one behind is part of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
It should be noted and recalled that in 2010, the United Nations recognized that the right to drinking water is “an essential right for the full enjoyment of life and human rights”. This statement includes as an inalienable right of every person the right to sufficient, potable, accessible and affordable water; both for personal and domestic use, sanitation, hygiene, food preparation…
Water is a fundamental element for the development of human beings, as it is an important factor in avoiding the global burden of disease, improving health, education….
However, there are reasons for discrimination that affect a sector of disadvantaged people for the following reasons:
- Race, ethnicity, religion and place/condition of birth.
- Gender
- Disability and/or health status
- Social economic status
Global water access data
- More than 2.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water
- 5 billion people do not have safe sanitation services
- More than 300,000 children under the age of five die each year from diarrheal diseases.
- Lack or scarcity of water affects four out of ten people, according to the World Health Organization.
Health benefits of water
In the words of Dr. Angélica Urda, specialist in Family Medicine at Magna Clinic Marbella, “hydration is fundamental for people’s organism”. Ingesting an “adequate amount of water” is necessary to guarantee “vital functions” of the blood, the brain, the muscles, the bones, the liver?
The daily intake of the right amount can be calculated according to our weight, and serves both to replenish what we spend and for vital functions.
At the same time, an adequate consumption of water should be made, since “an excess” in the consumption of water will not be beneficial to health either, since it can cause a “decompensation in the hydro-electrolytic balance and other functions”.
The following is a list of some of the health benefits of water:
- Eliminates toxins and waste products, thereby reducing fatigue.
- Aids in digestion
- Most migraines and headaches are caused by a lack of water in the body.
- Regulates body temperature
- Improves immune system function
- Improves health
- Helps in weight loss