World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, focuses on the importance of freshwater. The Temple University Department of Dance has been producing World Water Day dance concerts and more since 2015.   World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Water is essential

Access to water and sanitation is a precondition to life and a declared human right. Water is vitally important to sustainable development – from health and nutrition, to gender equity and economics. Over the coming years, our water-related challenges will become more urgent. The increasing demands of a growing population and rapidly developing global economy, combined with the effects of climate change, will exacerbate lack of access to water and sanitation for domestic uses. In fact, many experts argue that an unpredictable supply of water could constrain socio-economic progress in the future.

The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water.

This year's theme is about what water means to people, it's true value and how we can better protect this vital resource. The value of water is about much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. Today, water is under extreme threat from a growing population, increasing demands and misuse/contamination  of water  by agriculture, industry, and pollution and the worsening impacts of climate change.  Across the globe 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and 4.2 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services. Unsafe hygiene practices are widespread, compounding the effects on people’s health.

Get Involved! Here is a list of local, national and international organizations that are dedicated to solving water issues all over the globe:

Delaware River Keepers 

Website: delawareriverkeeper.org  

Friends of the Wissahickon   

Website: www.fow.org

United By Blue

Website: unitedbyblue.com                   

International Organizations! #NoDAPL Solidarity

Website: nodaplsolidarity.org

Foundation for Flint

Website: flintkids.org 

Americans Against Fracking

Website:americansagainstfracking.org               

Plastic Pollution Coalition

Website: plasticpollutioncoalition.org

Surfrider Foundation

Website: surfrider.org        

The 5 Gyres Institute                       

Website:5gyres.org

Sea Save

Website: seasave.org                        

Oceana

Website: oceana.org

World Wildlife Fund               

Website: worldwildlife.org

Water for People   

Website: waterforpeople.org

Clean Water Action   

Website: cleanwateraction.org

The Dance Department at Temple University is committed to excellence in teaching, scholarship and artistic practice. Understanding that we experience life through our bodies, our programs encourage students to consider how minds in motion contribute to knowledge, transform the social world, and facilitate community engagement. A founding member of the National Association of Schools of Dance, Boyer's Dance Department has provided a multi-layered creative, reflective, and inclusive dance learning environment for over fifty years. We continue to honor traditions while exploring new ways of knowing dance.

For more information about our programs and events, please visit: boyer.temple.edu