World Water Day Competition

- Your club could win $500!

What is World Water Day?

World Water is celebrated on March 22 every year and addresses the water crisis that leaves so many people behind.
 
Marginalized groups – women, children, refugees, indigenous peoples, disabled people and many others – are often overlooked, and sometimes face discrimination, as they try to access and manage the safe water they need.
 
The UN's Sustainable Development Goals, launched in 2015, include a target to ensure everyone has access to safe water by 2030, making water a key issue in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty.  In 1993, the UN General Assembly designated March 22nd as World Water Day.  It is now a globally recognized event.
 

$$$$$ - What can you win?

Two prizes will be awarded: 
$500 US for the best project (i.e. the one with the most impact)
$500 US for the most innovative project

What must you do?

Whatever works best for your community! The choice is yours! In some areas March 22 is in the middle of a dry season or a monsoon. In the north, rivers may be frozen. You can promote your project in March to celebrate World Water Day even if you complete the project at a later date as long as it is before May 1, 2019.
 
All we ask is that the project improve the quality of water and/or level of awareness in YOUR community. You could, for example:
 
  • Clean up debris along a waterway, lake, creek, pond, stream, or other water source.
  • Prevent erosion by planting trees and native plants along a water source.
  • Build awareness in your community - encourage students to write essays on the importance of water and what THEY can do to protect it.
  • Encourage farmers in your area to use eco-friendly chemicals that will not damage fragile water systems.
Use your imagination!  The bottom line is to educate your community on the importance of protecting its water sources.  Get them involved! 
 
Whenever possible, please consult with your local water or conservation authority to ensure that your efforts are compatible with conditions in your area!  For example, cleaning a watercourse during spawning season could have a negative impact on fish stocks.

Need Ideas?

A good place to look is the World Water Day website.  You will find a wealth of ideas to kick-start your project.  

Share your story 

Please use your project to celebrate World Water Day. You can promote it at your club meetings in March. WASRAG will share some of them in its monthly newsletter. And, why not tell your story to the Rotary world yourself? Go to the Rotary International website, Rotary.org, and post it on Rotary Club Central and/or Rotary Showcase!

Who will judge the entries?

The members of WASRAG's Membership Satisfaction Team. Chris Etienne - USA (Chair), Salvador Rico - USA, Tom Bos - USA, Ada Cheng - Hong Kong, Rich Churchman - USA, Toro de Silva - Brazil, V.N. Singh - India, Ndukwe Chukwu - Nigeria and Rob Crabtree - New Zealand.

How do you enter the competition?

Submit a brief description of your project to info@wasrag.org. Include what you are doing, the target audience and the expected impact of the project. If possible, please include photos. Remember to tell us your Club name and District number and give us a contact name, email address and phone number. Some projects will be showcased on the WASRAG website.
 
DEADLINE & AWARDS: 
Please submit all entries by May 1, 2019. Winners will be notified by May 20, 2019 and the awards presented at WASRAG's Annual General Meeting, Saturday June 1, 2019, 8.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. in Hamburg, Germany.
 

How it all started!

Many of you will have read the fantastic story of the Rotary Club of South Ukiah (California) District 5130's "Cleaning the Rivers of the World" program in WASRAG's October 2017 Newsletter.
 
Spearheaded by passionate water champion, Salvador Rico, the South Ukiah club challenged Rotary clubs around the world to clean up rivers in their communities. 
 
Inspired by Salvador and his club's efforts - WASRAG now invites you and your club to get involved in water - and maybe win some funding for your water projects!
 
 
World Water Day Contest
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