Celebrate World Water Day with Sustainable Gardening Practices

The United Nations General Assembly designated March 22, 1993 as the first World Water Day. 

While the goal of advancing water knowledge and learning sustainable water practices remains, the theme changes every year.

This year it’s Water for Peace, a reflection on the tumultuous state of the world today, stating “when we cooperate on water, we create a positive ripple effect - fostering harmony, generating prosperity and building resistance to shared challenges…we all need to unite around water and use water for peace, laying the foundations of a more stable and prosperous tomorrow.”

So what can we do here, not just in our own part of the world but in our own backyard? While the essential goal is safe drinking water for all, World Water Day promotes sustainability, and that is something we can practice in our gardens.

Sustainably is just one of Vego Garden’s missions, so here are some tips on how you can participate on Friday March 22.

If you have an underground sprinkler system, check it for leaks - ditto for hoses kinked in your yard or from the spigots attached to your house.

Consider water-reducing practices, such as watering in the morning when daytime heat allows drying before sunset. Watering at night can lead to pooling as the water rests, which not only wastes water but can lead to rotting, fungus and harmful insects. 

Plant native plants that require less watering than tropicals (depending on your Plant Hardiness Zone) and consider the benefits of mulch. 

Harvest rainwater, which can be accomplished simply by placing buckets underneath your gutter spouts. 

Invest in some new gardening goodies, such as wicking cells for raised garden beds, drip irrigation systems, and timers for sprinklers. 

Fast facts from the  United Nations 

• 2.2 billion still live without safely managed drinking water, including 115 million people who drink surface water. (WHO/UNICEF, 2023)
• Roughly half of the world’s population is experiencing severe water scarcity for at least part of the year (IPCC, 2022). 
• Water-related disasters have dominated the list of disasters over the past 50 years and account for 70 per cent of all deaths related to natural disasters (World Bank, 2022). 
• More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, only 24 countries have cooperation agreements for all their shared water.

Fast facts from the  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

• There is the same amount of water on Earth as there was when the Earth was formed. The water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank.
• Nearly 97% of the world’s water is salty or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2% is locked in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just 1% for all of humanity’s needs — all its agricultural, residential, manufacturing, community, and personal needs.
• Water regulates the Earth’s temperature. It also regulates the temperature of the human body, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions joints, protects organs and tissues, and removes wastes.
• 75% of the human brain is water and 75% of a living tree is water.
• A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water.
• Water is part of a deeply interconnected system. What we pour on the ground ends up in our water, and what we spew into the sky ends up in our water.
• Water expands by 9% when it freezes. Frozen water (ice) is lighter than water, which is why ice floats in water.