Water is the basis of life and main regulating factor of natural environment, lifeline of agriculture and industry and a prerequisite for urban development.

Therefore, human existence and development of social civilization are unthinkable apart from water.

On the globe fresh water makes up only 2.53 percent of water resources and of it only 0.34 percent is useful.

Today fresh water resources run dry due to global warming, natural disasters, population growth, rapid economic development and environmental pollution.

At present 72 percent of fresh water resources are used for agriculture, 16 percent by families and service networks in urban areas, 12 percent for industrial use. According to information published by the UN Environment Programme, over 50 percent of wetlands have been washed away so far since the early 20th century.

Such a reality demands all countries in the world work hard to protect and save water resources with concerted efforts.

To this end, March 22 was designated as World Water Day from 1993 to explain the importance of water in a concentrated way. Since then the day is observed every year with public activities conducted to raise public awareness and involve people in many countries in practical activities.

The theme for this year’s WWD is “Accelerating change”, which calls for resolving water and water hygiene crisis by accelerating change.

Water crisis can be settled only when all people are interested in how to spare and make an effective use of water and strive for that.

Many countries and regions are now directing efforts to easing public unrest caused by water crisis.

They work to transform the industrial production method based on excessive use of water and strengthen cooperation and exchange between nations which jointly use water resources. And projects are under way to save water resources as much as possible and effectively use them. Many units try to lower the consumption of water remarkably and water-saving farming methods are widely applied to reduce the loss of water resources in agricultural production.

The DPRK joined the GWP in September 2003 to intensify international cooperation and solidarity in the activities for the protection of water resources and presses on with the work to intensify the management, protection and use of water as state affairs including the enforcement of the law on water resources.

It has set the prevention of water pollution and improvement of water quality as an important state priority task and achieved substantial success in the protection and improvement of environment.

It also steps up the readjustment and reinforcement of overall irrigation facilities in the agricultural sector to reduce the loss of water resources and encourages farms to introduce water-saving farming methods like dry paddy harrowing and rice cultivation on non-paddy fields to suit the regional features in an effort to make the most of water resources, secure many reservoirs and mitigate the damage by drought and flash flood.

At the same time it has worked to put the Hydro-Meteorological Administration on an IT and scientific basis to cope with extreme weather in a farsighted manner and steadily pushed ahead with the land and environmental protection including the river improvement to make tangible achievements in the protection, management and use of water resources.