On World Water Day

Today marks the 16th annual observance of World Water Day, as designated by the United Nations in the afterglow of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Thankfully, World Water Day is more than just a random entry in the “did you know” section of your day planner; it is well-publicized, discussed and observed around the world. Building on that, we at Acumen Fund thought it would make sense to review what’s going on this year.

For an excellent overview, check out Greg Lamb’s article in the Christian Science Monitor. Lamb mentions a number of critical statistics and reports; this is a good place to start.

In the blogosphere, Acumen Fund ally GOOD Magazine is dedicating their blog to World Water Day today. Check it out. (And – if you haven’t already – subscribe; your 20 bucks goes straight to Acumen! Besides, it’s a good read…no pun intended.)

Over on TreeHugger, correspondent Lloyd Alter focuses on World Water Day’s 2008 theme: sanitation. In a nod to archived blog posts, I wrote about the “base of the pyramid” penalty and water last year on NextBillion.net. The numbers may have changed slightly since then, but the message remains the same: low-income customers remain critically underserved and generally face incredible price premiums when it comes to water.

Feeling more interactive? Browse over to Ashoka’s Changemakers, where Charlie Brown & company are in the midst of their Tapping Local Innovation: Unclogging the Water and Sanitation Crisis collaborative competition. Aspiring water and sanitation entrepreneurs can enter their business plans through March 26; winners will be eligible for $1 million in start-up grants (thanks to the Coca-Cola Company.) Full disclosure: Acumen Fund is featured commentator in this competition, and we’re really excited to see how much interest it has generated.

Want to get involved or check out a local event? Water Partners has a go-to list.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention a few stories of our own. In the Knowledge Center, check out The Value of Water, a story by Acumen CEO Jacqueline Novogratz about WaterHealth International.