Plan marks World Water Day and the start of the Water for Life decade

As the ‘Water for Life’ decade begins on World Water Day, 22 March, Plan will be marking the occasion through a series of campaigns and activities worldwide.

In Benin, to launch a community campaign to promote a healthy environment, children will be presenting a radio broadcast. ‘Healthy Environment’ is a program designed by Plan Benin to give better access to safe water and a clean environment through community participation and management.

In Albania, Plan is launching a campaign in schools on safe water supplies and clean environment. Children and education stakeholders are involved in the campaign, which focuses on the importance that water has on health.

In Zambia, Plan is running a national campaign and has produced a documentary on water-related issues including: water for health; HIV/AIDS and water; gender perspective on water and sanitation; and water and the Millennium Development Goals.

According to IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, the first water decade from 1981 to 1990 brought water to over a billion people and sanitation to almost 770 million. Much more still needs to be done. Safe water supply and adequate sanitation to protect health are among the basic human rights. Today, there are still almost 1.1 billion people who have inadequate access to water and 2.4 billion without appropriate sanitation.