22/03/2026

World Water Day 2026

World Water Day
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March since 1993

World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of freshwater.  

World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.  

Every year, UN-Water — the UN’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation — sets the theme for World Water Day. In 2023, the focus was on Accelerating Change. In 2024, the theme will be Leveraging Water for Peace.


World Water Day since 1993

World Water Day is an annual United Nations (UN) observance day held on the 22nd of March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The theme of each year focuses on topics relevant to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which is in line with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal.The UN World Water Development Report (WWDR) is released each year around World Water Day.

UN-Water is the convener for World Water Day and selects the theme for each year in consultation with UN organizations that share an interest in that year's focus. The theme for 2021 was "Valuing Water" and the public campaign invited people to join a global conversation on social media to "tell us your stories, thoughts and feelings about water".

In 2020, the theme was "Water and Climate Change". Previous themes for the years 2016 to 2019 were "Water and Jobs'", "Why waste water?" "Nature for Water", and "Leaving no one behind". World Water Day is celebrated around the world with a variety of events. These can be theatrical, musical or lobbying in nature. The day can also include campaigns to raise money for water projects. The first World Water Day, designated by the United Nations, was in 1993.


‘Water for Peace’ - World Water Day 2024 campaign launches
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March since 1993

The campaign for World Water Day, 22 March 2024, is now live. This year’s theme is ‘Water for Peace’, which focuses on the critical role water plays in the stability and prosperity of the world. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal or no access, tensions can rise between communities and countries. 

More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, out of 153 countries that share rivers, lakes and aquifers with their neighbours, only 24 countries report having cooperation agreements for all their shared water. As climate change impacts increase, and the global population grows, we must unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource.  By working together to balance everyone’s human rights and needs, water can be a stabilizing force and a catalyst for sustainable development. 

World Water Day is a United Nations (UN) observance coordinated by UN-Water. Every year, it raises awareness of a major water-related issue and inspires action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis. This year’s Task Force of UN-Water Members and Partners is coordinated by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).


World Water Day

World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis, in support of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

In 2024, World Water Day focuses on Water for Prosperity and Peace; UNESCO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe are the lead UN agency. Sustainable water management generates a plethora of benefits to individuals and communities, including health, food and energy security, protection from natural hazards, education, improved living standards and employment, economic development, and a variety of ecosystem services.
It is through these benefits that water leads to prosperity. And equitable sharing of these benefits promotes peace.

When it comes to water, sharing truly is caring. On this occasion, UNESCO wishes to recall the importance of dialogue and cooperation in the field of water, whether surface or groundwater, liquid or frozen. This international cooperation is not only desirable, but essential, when over 40% of the world’s population lives in transboundary river basins, which account for almost 60% of the world’s freshwater resources.


World Water Day

Why do we need to take action on water? Access to water is a human right. Yet, 2.2 billion live without safely managed drinking water services, with devastating impacts for their lives and wider society.

A well managed water cycle underpins progress across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly in relation to hunger, gender equity, health, education, livelihoods, sustainability and ecosystems.

Water is also at the heart of adaptation to climate change, serving as the crucial link between the climate system, human society and the environment. Without proper water governance, there is likely to be increased competition for water between sectors and an escalation of water crises of various kinds, triggering emergencies in a range of water-dependent sectors.


Singapore landmarks turn blue to mark World Water Day
The Sports Hub lit in blue on March 21, 2021. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

The city skyline turned into a sea of blue to mark World Water Day, as Singapore showed its commitment to water sustainability over the weekend. From Saturday (March 20) till Monday, a record 44 landmarks and buildings, including the ArtScience Museum, the Esplanade, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyer, are lit up in blue in the evenings as part of the national water agency PUB's City Turns Blue initiative, which started in 2014.

Among them are 10 spots that are taking part in the initiative for the first time. These include the Singapore Sports Hub, Mount Faber, One Marina Boulevard, Wisma Atria and the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant. Last year, 39 local landmarks were bathed in blue as part of the light-up.

World Water Day is held annually on March 22, a day designated by the United Nations as a reminder that water is a critical resource that should be cherished and protected. Ahead of the annual event, the UN called for urgent efforts to address the global water crisis. Around 1.6 billion people - almost a quarter of the world's population - have problems accessing a clean and safe water supply.


Singapore's Reservoirs
MacRitchie Reservoir formerly called "Thomson Road Reservoir", constructed 1890-1894 has a storage capacity of 4,200,000 cubic metres

There are a currently 17 reservoirs which are designated as national water catchment areas and are managed by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore.

The following is a list of reservoirs in Singapore:
01 - MacRitchie Reservoir (formerly called "Thomson Road Reservoir")
02 - Lower Peirce Reservoir (formerly called "Kallang River Reservoir" & "Peirce Reservoir")
03 - Upper Seletar Reservoir (formerly called "Seletar Reservoir")

Long Island to be reclaimed off East Coast could add 800ha of land, create Singapore’s 18th reservoir

Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

20/03/2026

Spring Equinox 2026 春分 Chūnfēn

What makes the spring equinox so special?

It takes a year for the earth to orbit the sun, and as it does so our planet spins on its own axis, each revolution taking a day.

If the axis of the earth was at 90° or perpendicular to the plane of its orbit, our planet would be very different. Sunrise and sunset would occur at the same time every single day.

We would also have no seasons and there would be a huge impact on weather patterns around the globe.

read more

What is an Equinox?

An equinox is one of the two times of the year when the amount of daylight and nighttime hours are just about of equal length. The two equinoxes occur around March 20–21 and September 22–23.

The equinoxes occur on these days, but an equinox is not the whole day—it is the moment when the sun is directly above Earth’s equator. The word equinox can also refer to the position of the sun at this moment. This can also be called the equinoctial point. The equinoxes are traditionally considered to mark the start of spring and fall. In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox (or spring equinox) occurs in March and the autumnal equinox occurs in September. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the reverse.

In contrast, a solstice is one of the two times of the year when the positioning and tilt of Earth relative to the sun results in the most amount of daylight time or the least amount of daylight time in a single day. There are two solstices during the year: one that occurs around June 20–22 (usually June 20 or 21) and one that occurs around December 20–23 (usually December 21 or 22). In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in June and the winter solstice occurs in December. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the reverse.


read more
Posted by at
Labels: ,

08/03/2026

International Women's Day 2026


International Women's Day is a worldwide celebration of women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements.

The day also serves as a rallying cry for greater gender equality. Worldwide, there is a lot of activity as people come together to celebrate women's accomplishments or to rally for women's equality.

International Women's Day (IWD), observed annually on March 8th, is one of the most important days of the year to honour women's accomplishments, increase awareness of women's equality, advocate for gender parity as soon as possible, and raise funds for female-focused charities.


The women's day has been celebrated for well over a century, with the first one in 1911

International Women's Day (IWD), celebrated on March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The women's day has been celebrated for well over a century, with the first one in 1911.

The day marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality.

Marked annually on March 8th, women's day is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about women's equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities.


From Suffrage To Sisterhood: What Is Feminism And What Does It Mean?

Held on March 8, International Women’s Day celebrates the progress women have made over the last century, and the inspiring women who helped make that progress happen. From the suffragist movement of the 1800s to the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, women have used the power of language and oration to inspire countless people.

Early feminism was heavily influenced by the Enlightenment in Europe during the late 1700s. The movement focused on reason and equality for all, and it ultimately inspired the American and French Revolutions. Think of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Of course, that whole all men are created equal thing didn’t apply to women or people of color at the time. That was a problem and a great source of tension for early feminism.

In the UK, Mary Wollstonecraft, an early feminist, published A Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792, promoting the then-radical idea that women be educated on the same level as their male peers. The word feminism itself was first coined in 1837 by French philosopher, Charles Fourier (as féminisme). It originally referred to “feminine qualities or character,” but that sense isn’t used any more. Toward the end of the century, the word came to refer to equal rights for women and became inextricably linked to the suffragist movement.

Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,

03/03/2026

Yuán Xiāo Jié 元宵節 Chap Goh Mei 2026


Rediscovering the romance of Chap Goh Mei

 Chap Goh Meh in Teochew simply means "the 15th night of Chinese New Year". Aside from being tagged as the last day of the festival, Chap Goh Meh is also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day. On a celebratory point of view, this night sees the gathering of family members as they sit down to a meal together.

 Just like Chinese New Year, Chap Goh Meh used to be celebrated with lots of fireworks and firecrackers which are now banned from use. Many homes gaily decorated with red lanterns and bright lights to mark the end of an auspicious occasion. Thanksgivings are held while many people would pray for success and wealth for the coming year.

 Chap Goh Meh is also regarded as the Chinese Valentine's Day, bringing forth lots of fun and gaiety. Chap Goh Meh used to be a night of courtship and was a forerunner in promoting match-making. On this night, many young ladies would make their way to the Esplanade, dressed in their best, with hope of finding prospective suitors.

 One of the fun activities that take place on this auspicious night includes the throwing of tangerines into the sea off the Esplanade by these young maidens. It is without a doubt, the most popular and colorful moment in the celebration of Chap Goh Meh. It is believed that by throwing tangerines into the sea, these young girls would find themselves a good husband. For many, the act of throwing tangerines into the sea also signifies that these ladies are available for marriage. It is also said that if someone else who sees the floating tangerine in the water and picked it up, that generally means that the single who threw it would be able to find a good spouse.

 These are Memories of "The Good Old Days".

 The 15-Day Celebration of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year starts with the New moon on the first day of the first lunar month and ends on the Full moon 15 days later:
  • First day - zhengyue 1, ’Birthday of Chicken’
  • Second day - zhengyue 2, ‘Birthday of Dog’
  • Third day - zhengyue 3, ‘Birthday of Pig’
  • Fourth Day - zhengyue 4, ‘Birthday of Sheep’
  • Fifth day - zhengyue 5, ‘Birthday of Ox, Cattle’
  • SIxth day - zhengyue 6, ‘Birthday of Horse’
  • Seventh day - zhengyue 7, ‘Birthday of Men’
  • Eighth day - The Completion Day
  • Ninth day - The birthday of the Jade Emperor
  • Tenth to the Twelfth Day - More feasting with friends and family
  • Thirteenth day - A time to diet a bit after so much rich food
  • Fourteenth day, The Lantern Decoration Day
  • Fifteenth day, Lantern Festival
Posted by at
Labels:

25/02/2026

Bai Tian Gong 拜天宫 2026

Hokkiens’ New Year 福建人的新年 9th day of Chinese New Year
“Gold” paper (kim chua) is hung from the sugarcanes, and this is later burnt as a thanksgiving offering to the Jade Emperor. A pair of sugarcanes are usually used, and traditionally these are tied to the sides of the altar

There is a saying that states you have not truly experienced Chinese New Year until you have celebrated it in Penang. The reason behind this is because Penangites celebrate Hokkien New Year in addition to Chinese New Year. You must be thinking – whatt? Hokkien New Year? How is this different from Chinese New Year?

Basically, Hokkien New Year is celebrated on the 9th day of Chinese New Year. (If you remember, I previously mentioned that Chinese New Year is a fifteen day celebration). For us Hokkiens, it is celebrated with more grandeur compared to the 1st day. According to mum, this is because the Hokkiens were in hiding for the first eight days of Chinese New Year, and only had the chance to celebrate the New Year on the 9th day. The belief is that the Jade Emperor (Thee kong – translated as “king of the heavens”) protected our Hokkien ancestors from being caught, which is why we offer thanksgiving prayers to him.

Although these prayers are traditionally only performed by Hokkiens, more and more non-Hokkien people have started to join in to pray for a good year ahead.

The prayers start at 11pm on the 8th day of Chinese New Year (in the Lunar calendar, the day starts at 11pm instead of at midnight), but preparations start well in advance. I went round with my mum to buy the fruits and flowers earlier in the day, and brought my camera along in the hope of capturing the festive air of it all. I must say I got quite a few strange glances from people, they must have thought I was completely crazy. Oh well.

Sugarcanes are an integral part of the thanksgiving prayers. This is because the Hokkiens hid out in sugarcane plantations, which managed to prevent them from harm. This is the only time of year when you will see this sugarcanes being sold all over town, and as you can imagine, it takes a bit of maneuvering to get the long stems into your car!

read more

The 9th Day of Chinese New Year Festival
A pair of sugarcane plants are used by the Hokkiens usually placed one on each side of the offering table or  the front door of the house

On the 9th day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar, it would be the celebration known to the Hokkiens as ‘Bai Tian Gong’, which literally means ‘praying the Heaven God’.

During a Chinese New Year of the Ming Dynasty, there was a bandit raid in the province of Hokkien. These intruders however robbed and burned down villages, attacked and killed the villagers. The people of the villages were in fear and escaped from their burnt villages during the night. Some of the villagers then hid themselves among the sugarcane fields. Needless to say, those villagers prayed to Heaven God (Tian Gong) for salvation during their hideout. The pursuing intruders spent many days trying to locate and hunt them but to no avail. On the ninth day of that Chinese New Year, they finally gave up and returned to their region. The Hokkiens then happily emerged from the sugar cane fields, and praising the blessings of the celestial deities and owing gratitude to the sugarcane plants for saving them from destruction. Thus, in all Hokkien celebrations, the sugarcane plant is given prominence.

Realizing that it was also the 9th Day of the Chinese New Year and coincidentally the birthday of Heaven God, they decided to make votive offerings and prayers to the Jade Emperor for their salvation. There are many versions of the Hokkiens’ Bai Tian Gong stories. Whichever it is, the Hokkiens believe that our life and prosperity are granted by the Heaven God. On the eve of the 9th day, a pair of sugarcane plants are used by the Hokkiens usually placed one on each side of the offering table or the front door of the house. The pair of the sugarcane symbolises unity, cooperation and strength. The sugarcane itself is a symbol of harmony and a token which can bring good and ‘sweet’ results. The very straightness of the sugarcane stem also ensures that the Hokkiens can become a clan of honest and sincere people.

read more
Posted by at
Labels:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)