I got an email from UNESCO reminding me that this year's World Water Day is to be held again on the 22nd of this month.
The objective of World Water Day 2011 is to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems.
This year’s theme, Water for cities: responding to the urban challenge, aims to spotlight and encourage governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to actively engage in addressing the challenge of urban water management.
UPDATE: Here is a link for checking the levels of radiations, compliments of enviroreporter: http://www.enviroreporter.com/...
Here are a few facts: half of the world’s population today lives in cities; within 20 years, the percentage of urban residents will rise to 60%, or a total of nearly 5 billion people. This population growth mainly affects developing countries. Meanwhile, one in four city residents – 789 million people – do not have access to improved sanitation facilities. Today 497 million city residents share sanitation facilities; in 1990 this number was 249 million.
On 20 March, a set of books about the challenge of water management in cities will be launched at the United Nations Pavilion in Cape Town, where UNESCO will have a stand. Published by the International Hydrological Programme, the 10-book set entitled “The Urban Water Series” covers integrated approaches to sustainable urban water management and the effects of urbanization on the hydrological cycle and water resources. It provides information for policy-makers, urban water practitioners and educators. Also on 20 March, the short film “Water in cities” will be presented. The film, which will be available on line as well, illustrates present and future challenges in urban water management.
And more water facts (because we do not know enough about it, nor do the politicians):
. Most of the earth's surface consists of water; there is much more water than there is land.
. Water can not only be found on the surface, but also in the ground and in the air.
. There is the same amount of water on earth as there was when the earth was formed. The water that came from your faucet could contain molecules that Neanderthals drank…
. The overall amount of water on our planet has remained the same for two billion years.
. There are two kinds of water; salt water and freshwater. Salt water contains great amounts of salt, whereas freshwater has a dissolved salt concentration of less than 1%. Only freshwater can be applied as drinking water.
. Water consists of three atoms, 2 Hydrogen atoms and an Oxygen atom, that are bond together due to electrical charges.
. The weight of a water molecule depends on the number of moles present, as it is 18 grams per mole.
. Water moves around the earth in a water cycle. The water cycle has five parts: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration and surface run-off.
. In a 100-year period, a water molecule spends 98 years in the ocean, 20 months as ice, about 2 weeks in lakes and rivers, and less than a week in the atmosphere.
. Groundwater can take a human lifetime just to traverse a mile.
. Most of the earth's surface water is permanently frozen or salty.
. Water regulates the earth's temperature.
. Water freezes at zero degrees Celcius.
. Water vaporizes at a hundred degrees Celcius.
. Water is the only substance that is found naturally on earth in three forms: liquid, gas, solid.
. If water changes phase its physical appearance changes due to parting of water molecules. In the solid phase the water molecules are close together and in the gaseous phase they are the furthest apart.
. Frozen water is 9% lighter than water, which is why ice floats on water.
. A litre of water weighs 1.01 kilograms.
. It doesn't take much salt to make water "salty." If one-thousandth (or more) of the weight of water is from salt, then the water is "saline."
. Saline water can be desalinated for use as drinking water by going through a process to remove the salt from the water. When water contains a lot of calcium and magnesium, it is called hard water. Hard water is not suited for all purposes water is normally used for.
. To determine water quality certified agencies take samples that are tested in a laboratory. The samples are tested on various factors, to determine if they suffice water quality standards.
. Each country has its own water quality standards that determine to which degree water should be purified, depending on the purpose it will be used for.