The United Nations Water group announced that World Water Day 2008 will be celebrated by the UN on Thursday, March 20, 2008. The international theme is “sanitation.” The local theme is “Sanitation is vital to human health!”
In Guyana a number of activities will be undertaken in observance of this day by several agencies, such as World Wildlife Fund, Guyana Water Incorporated, the Environmental Protection Agency, Pan American Health Organization, the Ministry of Health and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Some of the activities include:
- Appearance on the Guyana Today show on March, 18, 2008;
- Publishing of articles in the newspapers over a four week period commencing on March 20, 2008;
- Training in water quality monitoring for Environmental Health Officers in Region 3 on March 31 & April 1, 2008;
- Workshop to develop a Strategic Sanitation Plan for Guyana on April 2, 2008; and
- Symposium to highlight issues on sanitation to be held on April 3, 2008.
The School is responsible for organization of the Symposium and the proposed topics for the symposium are:
- Women, Sanitation and Human Health;
- Sanitation and the environment;
- Sanitation and water resources;
- Water Safety Plan;
- New Septic tanks standards for Guyana;
- Household water treatment in Guyana; and
- Sanitation and community participation
The public, especially senior secondary school students and their teachers, University students and Lecturers, are invited the symposium. It will be held in the Education Lecture Theatre, University of Guyana Campus from 8:30 hrs.
