The Nepal Weekly 
March 25, 2025
World Water Day is an annual United Nations (UN) observance day held on the 22nd March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The theme of each year focuses on topics relevant to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which is in line with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 as well. World Water Day has been observed since 1993
This year’s World Water Day theme, Glacier Preservation, highlights the urgent need to protect glaciers, as their rapid melting threatens water security, ecosystems and livelihoods, requiring collective global and local action.
The key messages for World Water Day 2025 are noted as
– Glaciers are melting faster than ever. As the planet gets hotter due to climate change, our frozen world is shrinking, making the water cycle more unpredictable and extreme.
– Glacial retreat threatens devastation. For billions of people, meltwater flows are changing, causing floods, droughts, landslides and sea level rise, and damaging ecosystems.
– Glacier preservation is a survival strategy. We must work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage meltwater more sustainably for people and the planet.
Addressing this context, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres reminds that “Glaciers may be shrinking, but we cannot shrink from our responsibilities … Action this year is critical. Every country must deliver strong national climate action plans aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”
The World Health Organisation warns that “historical rates of progress would need to double” for the world to achieve universal coverage of basic drinking water services by the end of the decade.
Also to mention that only 0.5% of water on Earth is usable and available freshwater– and climate change is dangerously affecting that supply, says the World Meteorological Association. Over the past 20 years, terrestrial water storage – including soil moisture, snow and ice – has dropped at a rate of 1cm per year, with major ramifications for water security
From climate change to urbanization and demographic changes, water supply systems face numerous risks. Indeed, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025 lists “natural resource shortages” as the 4th biggest risk over the next decade.
That’s why raising awareness on conserving and protecting freshwater for everyone on Earth is vital, especially as the world looks to find – and implement – solutions.
Water and climate change are inextricably linked, with glaciers playing a critical role in maintaining freshwater availability. Rising global temperatures are accelerating glacial melt, disrupting the seasonal flow of meltwater that feeds major river systems. These rivers support agriculture, drinking water supply, and hydropower for millions of people, particularly in lowland regions.
As glaciers recede, water sources become less predictable, leading to prolonged droughts, reduced soil moisture, and declining groundwater levels. At the same time, excessive glacial melting can contribute to flooding, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods, endangering communities and infrastructure. These disruptions affect ecosystems, food security and
Glaciers are critical to life, as their meltwater is essential for drinking water, agriculture, industry, clean energy production and healthy ecosystems. However, rapidly melting glaciers are causing uncertainty to water flows, with profound impacts on people and the planet, says the United Nations.
The day was at observed in Nepal in initiative of the Ministry of Water Supply by organising awareness and knowledge sharing programmes, interaction and debate on the need to preserve and utilize the essential water resources in the country.
Although Nepal is a water rich country, people not yet to get good access to drinkable water and irrigating arable farm lands.
In context of drinking water, the total per capita water consumption capacity in Nepal is 3,600 cubic meters, but the current consumption rate is only 393.5 cubic meters per capita.
Nepal possesses 3.5 million hectares of agricultural land, of which 2.5 million hectares are deemed feasible for irrigation. However, only 35% of this land receives year-round coverage, highlighting the need for extensive and intensive irrigation development to meet food demands, official documents say.
Water uses also relates to fish farming and livestock in Nepal. Good supply of water can boost such activities which can support economy, livelihood and environment. Likewise, hydropower projects, microhydro projects, operation of watermills also are depended in water availability.
As such, water is life in Nepal as well as rest of the world and the country needs to take seriously on water issues. Moreover, glaciers are much crucial as rivers originated from the Himalayan mountains are the sources of water for the main rivers of the country.
In the recent years the country is facing climate related incidents as melt down of glaciers has been a serious issue to be urgently addressed to mitigate the possible risks.
The government has been organizing a week-long programme with the aim of raising public awareness about the interrelationship between water and energy in Nepal, initiating debates at the water use policy level, identifying stakeholders in the water and energy sector, interlinking stakeholders and organizations working in the water and energy sector under one umbrella. (By Purna N. Ranjitkar)
