Webinar by The Light Millennium for the 2021 World Water Day (22 March)
SAVE THE DATE FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021

The Light Millennium, Charitable Global Human Advancement Organization
Associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications,
Proudly presents the following titled webinar:

Observance of the World Water Day (March 22, A/RES/47/193) and
in support of the SDG-6 and SDG-3

Date: On SUNDAY, 21, MARCH 2021 
Time:  13:00–15:00 (EST) | 12:00–14:00 (CT)  | 10:00–12:00(PT) 
18:00-20:00(UCT) | 19:00-21:00(CET) & 20:00-22:00(TR) 
Webinar| Language: English | Via Zoom Platform

DESCRIPTION & PURPOSE

The proposed webinar, titled “Water, Sanitation, Covid-19, Values and the Future of Water” aims to contribute to the global conversation, making use of World Water Day (March 22) within the framework of the 2021 theme, “Valuing Water” towards a road map to bring ‘systemic change in the way water is valued in policy, practice, finance, management, and behavior and to inspire.

UN-Water, in underlining the fundamental role of water and sanitation in the fight against Covid-19, states: “The spread of the virus is closely related to water and sanitation. Cleaning hands can reduce the transmission and help people stay healthy but today billions of people lack safe water, sanitation and handwashing and funding is inadequate.” Likewise, WHO underlines the importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in infection prevention and control, and FAO states that COVID-19 reinforces the need for access to clean water for health, and food and nutrition security.

Despite these and many similar statements from United Nations entities, state and non-state actors, investing in water and sanitation does not appear to have been adequately and coherently incorporated in the Covid-19 response policies and programs. Similarly, it remains under-addressed by the policymakers, international organizations, mainstream media and the private sector while it is as important as, and complementary to,  the development and availability of vaccine and medication for prevention and treatment.

The proposed webinar aims to contribute an awareness towards building up consciousness and behavior change in the minds of the general public along with academia and civil society.  Eventually, it can lead up to be transformed into a demand by the public from their respected governments developing relevant public policies and allocating budget for the urgent need for infrastructure, technology, and adaptive governance structures

CONCEPT

The core of the Webinar is linked to “World Water Day” and “Water and Sanitation” in connection with Sustainable Development Goal 6 along with the Covid-19 pandemic and with ever-increasing the utmost level NEED for clean water, access to water, and basic sanitation within the framework of “Valuing  Water” as water is the source of all life on our planet  and everything around it, and essential for livelihoods, social and economic activities, culture, recreation and spiritual needs. 

Despite the United Nations’ related campaign, “Water and Soap Against the Coronavirus”, the common impression is that the campaign did not receive the level of attention that developing a vaccine did.

It appears that there has not been nearly adequate interest in investing in clean water for the 3 billion who do not have an access to it and in basic sanitation for the 4.2 billion who have been left behind.

In this contour, the proposed webinar will seek answers to the following questions along with provide ideas towards solutions.

1. How to speed up progress in an urgency mode towards providing clean drinking water and sanitation as basic, universal human rights to every home by 2030?  
2. Is there scope for global cooperation and action plan towards closing the existing cliff through a speedy mechanism during the times of coronavirus and beyond? 
3. What are the envisioned immediate solutions to create, provide and sustain an equilibrium on the global drive that “NO ONE will be LEFT BEHIND” in fighting with Covid-19? 
4. What is the case for delivering all of the targets of SDG 6 while the primary focus is on drinking water and sanitation in the fight against Covid-19?

Expected Outcome:

 • All delivered presentations will be made publicly available through The Light Millennium’s website(s) that also will be contributing towards the Water Action Decade, 2018-2028.

• A summary will be produced to disseminate through the core-organizers’ relevant websites, via direct-email and social media accounts of/by the core-organizers.

• Will contribute to public awareness and encourages students and academia and policymakers to focus on the theme of “Valuing Water”.

• Will provide ideas and references based on existing and ongoing projects towards solutions.

• Will demonstrate a strong emphasis on the importance of the water and sanitation in connection with fighting with the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Video recording of the webinar will be made publicly available online. Its edited, re-formatted version will be scheduled under the Light Millennium Television Series (LMTV) for local channels in New York City (QPTV.Org; MNN.Org) in the following months that also will be presented in support of the SDG-6 and SDG-3 along with Water Action Decade, 2018-2028.

• The outcome of the webinar will be reflected to the United Nations and UN associated NGOs and general public.

Targeted Attendees: 200+ attendees

Targeted Audience: Global (experts, academia, representatives from related UN entities, diplomats, government and/or intergovernmental organizations, NGO/Civil Society, Youth/Student representatives and general public).

Contact: Bircan Ünver, The Light Millennium, email to: event@lightmillennium.org

References:

1.         https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day/message

2.         https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/

3.         https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331305

4.         https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25738&LangID=E

5.         https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-action-decade/

6.         http://www.fao.org/land-water/overview/covid19/access/en/

7.         https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/wash-documents/progress-of-drinking-water-sanitation-and-hygiene-in-schools—special-focus-on-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=d5b40ebd_6&download=true

Above Concept Note is available in Pdf format via the following link >
https://lmglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/w-water-day-webinar-proposal-by-the-light-millennium-ou-feb-4-21.pdf