IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 802 

Supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 22, 2018 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself and Mr. BLUMENAUER) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, 

and Technology, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day. 

Whereas the global celebration of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro; 

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly, via resolution, designated March 22 of each year as World Water 

Day; 

Whereas although water resources are renewable, differences 

in availability of water resources exist due to variations 

in seasonal and annual precipitation in different parts of 

the world; 


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•HRES 802 IH 

Whereas although water is the most widely occurring substance on Earth, only 2.5 percent of all water is freshwater, with a large portion trapped in glaciers and ice 

caps, and the remainder is salt water; 

Whereas freshwater resources are further reduced by various 

forms of industrial, chemical, human, and agricultural 

pollution; 

Whereas the drainage of wetlands for agriculture and the dissipation of water sources by land clearance lead to further exacerbation of water scarcity; 

Whereas according to the United Nations, by the middle of 

this century, global water demand could rise by 30 percent and as many as three billion people could be waterscarce; 

Whereas the poor are the most affected by water scarcity, 

with two billion people lacking safe drinking water at 

home; 

Whereas water-related diseases are among the most common 

causes of illness and death, afflicting primarily the poor 

in developing countries; 

Whereas initiatives that promote access to safe drinking 

water and sanitation that prevents contaminants from infiltrating fresh drinking water supplies are vital tools in 

raising the awareness of the importance of freshwater to 

the quality of life; and 

Whereas freshwater is vital to the development, sustainability, 

and progression of all humanity: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of World 

3 Water Day; 


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•HRES 802 IH 

1 (2) recognizes the importance of conserving and 

2 managing water resources for sustainable develop3 ment, including environmental integrity and the 

4 eradication of poverty and hunger, and human 

5 health and overall quality of life in the United States 

6 and across the globe; 

7 (3) recognizes the contributions of fundamental 

8 science and engineering research, funded by the Na9 tional Science Foundation (NSF), the Environ10 mental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of 

11 Energy, the United States Geological Survey 

12 (USGS), the National Aeronautics and Space Ad13 ministration (NASA), the National Oceanic and At14 mospheric Administration (NOAA), and others, to 

15 understanding and improving water systems and 

16 their interconnections with food and energy; 

17 (4) encourages public participation in water re18 search through citizen science and crowdsourcing; 

19 and 

20 (5) encourages the people of the United States 

21 to observe World Water Day with appropriate rec22 ognition, ceremonies, activities, and programs to 

23 demonstrate the importance of water and water con24 servation to humanity. 

Æ 


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