Ancient tale of hummingbird inspires UN World Water Day campaign

16 January, GENEVA – Inspired by an ancient tale of a hummingbird trying to put out a forest fire, the United Nations has kicked off a World Water Day 2023 campaign that calls on everyone to do what they can to solve the global water and sanitation crisis.

According to UN figures, 1.4 million people die annually and 74 million will have their lives shortened due to diseases related to poor water, sanitation and hygiene. Worldwide, one in four, or 2 billion people, lack safe drinking water. Nearly half of all the wastewater coming out of households – from their toilets, sinks, drains and gutters – flows back into nature without harmful substances removed.

The global campaign, called Be the change, encourages people to take small steps to change the way they use, consume and manage water. It is led by UN-Water, an inter-agency mechanism that coordinates the world body’s work on water and sanitation, and runs through 22 March, the day when the world annually recommits to addressing the water-related challenges.

In an ancient story from the Quechua people in Peru, a hummingbird fetches drops of water to help put out a great forest fire. The other animals laugh at her, but the bird replies, “I’m doing what I can”.

The promises made by individuals on the campaign website will contribute to the Water Action Agenda– a main outcome of the upcoming UN 2023 Water Conference, which opens on World Water Day, 22 March.

The Water Action Agenda is a collection of voluntary commitments from governments, companies, organizations, institutions, coalitions and members of the public, designed to deliver rapid progress on internationally-agreed water and sanitation targets, most notably Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

In a recent opinion piece, UN Water Chair Gilbert F. Houngbo wrote: “Clearly, progress towards achieving SDG 6 – water and sanitation for all by 2030 – is seriously off-track. We have no choice but to act faster and smarter, across sectors[…] In our own lives, we can all be more aware of our water footprint and be less wasteful of water.”

Mr. Houngbo, also Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), then concluded: “It’s down to everyone to solve the water crisis. And that can only be done when water is on everyone’s agenda.”