World Water Day, celebrated annually on 22 March, brings together tens of thousands of people around the world to raise awareness and focus attention on taking action to address water and sanitation crises. On 22 March, governments and international organizations reaffirm that clean water is life and our lives depend on how we protect water quality and the human right to access clean water.

The initiative to celebrate World Water Day was born in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March as World Water Day. It has been celebrated annually since 1993, focusing on the importance of water for life on the planet and the need to protect it. The campaign is coordinated by the UN Water Mechanism and draws attention to taking action to address the global water crisis. In Bulgaria, the holiday has been celebrated since 1994, with scientific institutes, educational organizations, and the Ministry of Environment and Water traditionally participating in the initiatives.

The impact of climate change is growing and this creates an urgent need for countries to unite around the protection and conservation of one of the most valuable resources - water. World Water Day promotes shared responsibility by everyone - government authorities, people, and local communities, international organizations and civil society, to protect the quality of water and life on Earth. The main goal of World Water Day is to help achieve Goal 6 of the UN Sustainable Development: to ensure safe water and sanitation for all.

In 2026, the campaign focuses on a key issue affecting 2.1 billion people who still live without access to safe water near their homes, and in two out of three households women are primarily responsible for collecting water.

This year, the theme of World Water Day, “Where Water Flows, Equality Grows,” focuses the global community’s attention on safe water and sanitation as human rights and key factors for gender equality.

• According to the World Health Organization, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene kill an estimated 1000 children under five every day worldwide.
• Globally, more than 1 billion women – over a quarter of all women (27.1%) – lack access to safely managed drinking water services. 380 million women and girls, or 9.5% of the world’s female population, live in high or critical water stress, a number expected to rise to 674 million in 33 countries by 2050.
• In the 53 countries with available data, women and girls spend 250 million hours a day collecting water – more than three times more than men and boys.

In 2026, the campaign is led by UNICEF and UN Women to raise global awareness of the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls. Although the priorities of different regions differ, the common goal is to use water in a responsible and sustainable way, creating conditions for better development of society.

In Bulgaria, water management is an important national priority. The national policy is aimed at planned, open and predictable management of water resources, rational and efficient use of water, fair distribution for the population and the economy, as well as the protection and restoration of water quality.

The Ministry of Water and Environment contributes to the water supply of the population by funding various projects through the Environment Program and the Enterprise for Management of Environmental Protection Activities. These programs support the modernization of water infrastructure, improve water supply and promote sustainable management of water resources.

On the eve of March 22, tens of thousands of people and organizations around the world are hosting events on the occasion of World Water Day and participating in the global public campaign. Regional divisions of the Ministry of Environment and Water throughout the country are joining the campaign with various initiatives for World Water Day in partnership with educational institutions and non-governmental organizations in the individual regions.