Today, people from all over the world are celebrating World Water Day, an observance begun by the United Nations in 1993 to advocate for the sustainable management of our most precious natural resource – fresh water sources.

On this very special day, I hope you can help spread awareness of the importance of conserving water by sharing these facts with your family:

• 66% of the human body is water; a person can only live without water for approximately one week
• Up to 75% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water but less than 0.03% is drinkable
• More than a billion people in water poor regions around the globe survive on the same amount used to flush a toilet or take a 5-minute shower, just over 1 gallon of water each day.
• Each day almost 10,000 children under the age of 5 in Third World countries die as a result of illnesses contracted by use of impure water.

Another great way to educate your children on this very important topic is to get them directly involved. As part of Siemens’ commitment to helping communities make big changes in how they consume, manage and recycle fresh water, the company has developed these fun and interactive family-friendly tools to help educate your children on water usage and make a household commitment to conserving water:

1.      Water Discovery Center: Features fun, interactive water-themed games and puzzles based on your kids’ favorites such as “Memory” and infused with interesting water facts. The Discovery Center also includes a digital coloring book so your kids can share images with their friends!

2.      Personal Water Footprint Calculator: A family-friendly tool for parents to educate their children on water usage and make a household commitment to conserving.  After completing a simple quiz, your family can commit to making small changes in your daily lives that make a big difference. Then, you can share this commitment with family and friends via Facebook to help spread the word. Help Siemens reach their goal of conserving 200 million gallons of water this World Water Day!

(Disclosure: This information was provided by Siemens but I was not compensated. I posted about it because clean water is a cause I am passionate about.)