Since the beginning of the celebration of the World Water Day on 22 March 1993, each year the focus has been on different aspects related to the conservation, access and management of this vital resource. The common unifying goal is to highlight the importance of water for people and our planet, the need for equal access to it, to draw attention to the challenges in its management, and to promote the process of making water a stabilizing force for sustainable development on a global scale.
In 2024, the theme of World Water Day is "Water for Peace" and is in line with the annual publication of the United Nations World Water Development Report published by UNESCO under the title "Leveraging Water for Peace and Prosperity".
The importance of water to people and our planet is so great that if access to it is scarce or non-existent, it can spark conflict. A key factor for water to be a catalyst for peace is an inclusive approach focusing on human rights, transboundary cooperation, and at the national level, coordination of interests between different water-using sectors.
It is a great pity that humanity is still far from ensuring equality in access to water and sanitation. Currently, 3 billion people worldwide depend on water sources that cross national borders. Of the 153 countries that share rivers, lakes and aquifers with their neighbours, only 24 countries have cooperative agreements in place for all shared waters. This fact calls for the development of agreements and the creation of institutions for the peaceful management of water resources that cross international borders.
The motto "Water for Peace" calls us to work together to balance access to water resources, to unite around our common goal - their conservation and equitable management.
In an era of climate challenges - alternating water scarcity, floods and droughts - the need for shared responsibility for the planet's water resources - at international, regional and local levels - is particularly strong. Cooperation on water will also contribute to building resilience to extreme weather events, help the earth's population to mitigate change and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. Being smart about water today is a guarantee for our tomorrow.
With its carbon-independent production of energy from one of the key renewable sources - water, National Electricity Company (Natsionalna Elektricheska Kompania) uses this valuable resource extremely responsibly and contributes to the achievement of Bulgaria's and the European Union's climate neutrality goals.
We extend our greetings to all who value water with video footage from our hydropower sites.