World Water
Day Anniversary

Reawakens importance of water to the general public

Korea has joined countries across the globe in the observance of World Water Day, which fell on March 22, with diverse anniversary events taking place across the nation. The Ministry of Construction and Transportation and the Ministry of Environment jointly held a ceremony marking the World Water Day anniversary at the auditorium of COEX, with about 1,000 people, including acting Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Kwon O-kyu, and K-water CEO Kwak Kyul-ho, participating.
The Korean government has been holding a government World Water Day anniversary ceremony since 1995 with the goal of preventing the ever-worsening water shortage and water contamination as well as reawakening the importance of water.
Korea Water Resources Corp., or K-water, and other public and NGO organizations observed the anniversary of World Water Day 2007 under the theme "Coping with Water Scarcity,"guided under the leadership of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
True to the theme of World Water Day 2007, government agencies and NGO organizations have been holding diverse anniversary events, designed to remind the general public with the significance of water as well as to suggest such proposals as the ones on securing a stable supply of a clean water, making streams suitable for humans and nature.
Prof. Shim Myung-pil of Inha University was awarded with the Order of Service Merit, while the Korean River Love Association was presented with a presidential award. They were among the 19 individuals and organizations who received diverse government prizes during the anniversary ceremony.
MOCT, MOE and other government agencies as well as local government bodies have designated March as the month marking the World Water Day anniversary and organized such diverse events as seminars and other activities designed to reawaken the importance of water and translated into action their love for water.
In celebration of the World Water Day anniversary,
a symposium, titled "Water and the Future,"was held at the Construction Hall in Seoul on March 21, and the one on the observation of floodgates was held at the KOSFO Hall on March 20.
LOVING for TAP WATER. K-water doled out 35,000 "K-water"bottles of tap water in eight locations across the nation, including Daejeon and Seoul railroad stations, on March 19.
The event , held in a run-up to the observance of World Water Day, was designed to help the general public first-hand sample tap water and convince them that the water is clean and safe.
K-water has produced the bottled water under the brand "Loving for Water"since 2002 in a bid to publicize the safe, quality piped water. The bottled water has carried the new brand name "K-water."About 17 million bottles of tap water has been distributed to such areas as the explosion site of Ryongcheon Railroad Station in North Korea, annual national athletic meetings, regional events, the earthquake ― hit areas in Pakistan, and areas damaged by such disasters as bush fires and water floods.
COPING WITH WATER SHORTAGE. The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.
The United Nations General Assembly designated March 22 of each year as the World Day for Water by adopting a resolution. This world day for water was to be observed starting in 1993, in conformity with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development contained in chapter 18 (Fresh Water Resources) of Agenda 21.
States were invited to devote the Day to implement the UN recommendations and set up concrete activities as deemed appropriate in the national context.
The Subcommittee welcomes the assistance offered by IRC International Water and Sanitation Center to contribute to an information network center in support of the observance of the Day by Governments, as required. nw

In the observance of the World Water Day anniversary, K-water doles out "K-Water"bottles of tap water in eight locations across the nation on March 19.

K-water CEO Kwak Kyul-ho