(Image source from: Spare a few thoughts on World Water Day 2014})

It's World Water Day today! As the world comes together to celebrate the World Water Day 2014, United Nations is trying to draw all attention to the water-energy nexus, grappling with inequalities, especially for the 'bottom billion' who dwell in slums and impoverished rural areas with little or no access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

For those of us lucky enough to live in countries with easy access to high-quality water, go to your tap, draw a glass of water, and drink it. Then think of those billion people who still do not have access to safe, affordable drinking water. This World Water Day, pledge that you will try to make the world a better place for the lesser fortunate by mulling over these thoughts:

Do not take your toilet for granted. Nearly 2.5 billion people still don't have safe sanitation.

Have you ever heard of anyone dying from cholera or dysentery of late? May be not. Yet, there is a good chance that some of your ancestors actually succumbed to these illnesses. The worse part is that even to this day, millions of people die due to these preventable diseases, directly linked with lack of safe water and inadequate sanitation.

That food you're eating or the clothes you're wearing or the computer you're sitting at to read this? It took a lot of water to produce them. That water is part of your water footprint.

We often read and hear about the vast damages us humans are doing to the environment, driving many species to extinction. But do you know which species is the victim of man's ruthlessness? The majority of species threatened with extinction are aquatic.

AW: Suchorita Choudhury