Saturday, September 18th is World Water Monitoring Day. Countries around the globe recognize this day with public engagement and education towards protecting the earth’s water resources. This day has become more important now than ever due to impacts of pollution and climate change to regularly monitor the water bodies around us.
World Water Monitoring Day takes place in the midst of the EarthEco Water Challange, an international program that runs annually from March 22 (the United Nations World Water Day) through December each year and equips anyone to protect the water resources we depend on every day.
The Challenge has the same goals as World Water Monitoring Day – to build public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local waterbodies.
Anyone can get started with the Challenge tomorrow on World Water Monitoring Day! EarthEco has some great resources for both individuals and schools. To participate, complete these three steps:
- Testing – Start by understanding the state of water quality in your community. You can do just that with a simple test kit that may be purchased here.
- Share – Enter your data online to the international database and share your story and photos on social media using hashtag #MonitorWater and @EarthEcho. Join a network of citizens from more than 140 countries and become part of the solution for clean water and healthy waterways worldwide.
- Protect – Armed with your test results, you can use information and resources available to take action and protect the vital water resources in your community. We’ve compiled steps to take in your home or business to protect it our groundawater or visit the EarthEcho site for more ideas.
Protecting the quality of water in our local watersheds is a critical part of ensuring the overall health of the environment and our communities. Participating in World Water Montioring Day and the EarthEcho Water Challenge is a great way to be part of the solution to water issues worldwide.
The World Water Monitoring Day has an interesting history. Learn more here.