What is World Water Day?
World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance day, held on March 22 since 1993. Its purpose is to highlight the importance of water as a basic need and raise awareness of the communities that need secure access to it. World Water Day supports the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Each year, World Water Day highlights a different theme. This year, the theme is: “Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible.” This topic highlights the importance of groundwater, which makes up most of the freshwater reserves in the world. Groundwater will play an important role in our adaptation to climate change, especially in areas that are increasingly experiencing droughts. Currently, most arid areas of the planet depend entirely on groundwater.
We must give more attention to this resource and protect it. It is important to carry out actions to reduce and eliminate pollutants that reach the soil and could, in the case of Puerto Rico, leak into the aquifers of the Island. This purpose aligns with actions that Estuario has taken within the San Juan Bay Estuary watershed, for example:
Water Quality Monitoring
Through various initiatives, we maintain a constant monitoring of the water quality of our ecosystem and measure the success of the implementation of our Comprehensive Management and Conservation Plan.
Illegal Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Task Force
A multi-sectoral group dedicated to identifying and correcting discharges of untreated wastewater and other sources of pollution in the San Juan Bay Estuary basin. This group has the collaboration of state, federal and municipal agencies.
Certification for Citizen Scientists
The goal of the Certification for Citizen Scientists is to promote personal and social growth among the participants, while establishing sustainable links between individuals, groups, and institutions and addressing the complicated and interdisciplinary efforts of environmental protection.
Que no toque el piso ni llegue al agua (Don’t let it touch the floor or reach the water)
An educational campaign focused on conserving our bodies of water through the correct management of solid waste and its diversion from storm sewers.
Estuario invites you to raise awareness in your community about the importance of protecting the integrity of our soils and bodies of water. This way we will be able to preserve safe access to water around the entire Island. Join the efforts of conservation entities in your area or municipality. If you want to collaborate with the restoration and management actions for the San Juan Bay Estuary, learn more about our volunteer program and how to become a volunteer, below.
