World Water Day 2023

Save the date and make it count

World Water Day; observed every year on 22 March, was established by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness around the need to conserve and protect natural water sources. The plight of water-scarce nations and countries where there is a lack of access to clean, running water were once the main focus of this important observance. This historical focus on under-resourced countries however, saw many shrug off the issue of water conservation as a ‘problem for the developing world.’ The onset of global warming however, changed this perception indelibly.

A universal problem requires a universal solution

One of the most evident and immediate effects of climate change is increasing water scarcity – and not just in poorer countries or rural communities. Climate change has brought the importance of saving and protecting water home to the world at large. And, with the frequency and severity of droughts causing food insecurity and unprecedented supply chain disruption, it’s become clear that water conservation is all of our problem.

This year, the theme for World Water Day is, ‘Be the Change.’ With this broad and multi-dimensional theme, the UN hopes to expand the reach of its message and bring more people into the fold as active participants in finding practical solutions.

Make the next two minutes matter

This two-minute clip, featuring the mascot of this year’s campaign – an animated hummingbird, touches on some of the most pressing issues. It references the ancient tale of how a hummingbird, when faced with a great fire, decided to try and put the fire out with one drop of water at a time. The other animals laughed, but she simply replied: “I’m doing what I can.” And that’s really all there is to it. If we all do what we can by doing something, no matter how small, the world will become an infinitely better and safer place for all living things.

So here’s a challenge. If you do anything this World Water Day, let it be this – share this video on your social media channels with the hashtag #PlainTigerCares and encourage your followers to pay it forward by doing the same. By doing this, you can demonstrate the power of taking small, simple steps towards progress. Making a difference will take only a few minutes – literally.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to shed light on some of the organisations who are working diligently towards helping the world become more water-wise.

Cleaner oceans. Better world.

In the UAE, non-profit marine conservation organisation, Azraq is a prime example of the power of collective effort. Through its various initiatives, Azraq raises awareness around one of the most important driving factors for why water conservation should matter to all of us.

Water sustains life. It supports diverse ecosystems which play a vital role in supporting the life of all living creatures in one cyclical, symbiotic relationship. Maintaining biodiversity and the interdependent links it requires to ensure that all life can thrive, requires striking a delicate balance.

The ocean is a key example of one of earth’s most important ecosystems and is the environment that Azraq focuses on nurturing and protecting.

In the UAE alone, it has organised and facilitated 50 beach clean-ups, conducted marine conservation presentations at a number of schools and businesses, and reduced the use of plastic in over 55 hospitality outlets. Through its conservation and education projects, it has also removed millions of plastic straws from circulation in the UAE, recovered 60 000 plastic utensils, prevented 15 000 balloons from being released and collected over a tonne of marine debris.

Want to know how you can contribute? Right now, in just a few easy steps you can take one of these easy steps towards protecting our oceans:

1. Sponsor a coral reef

2. Help spread the word

3. Adopt a mangrove

4. Do a beach clean-up

Focus on Africa

Going beyond the UAE, you may also encounter organisations like One Ocean Hub – an initiative with a clean vision to support and promote “fair and inclusive decision-making for a healthy ocean whereby people and planet flourish.”

The One Ocean Hub is an international programme of research on sustainable development and an advocacy movement for the protection of marine biodiversity. The Hub focuses the majority of its efforts on South Africa, Namibia, Ghana, Fiji and Solomon Islands.

Through collaborative work and transdisciplinary research, the Hub aims to bridge the gap between law, science, and policy, integrating governance frameworks to balance multiple ocean uses with conservation. Right now, you can make a difference by reading and contemplating the “why” behind this all-important work. Take a few seconds now to read the paragraph below and internalise this message by finding ways that you can contribute as an individual:

The ocean provides over half of the oxygen in our planet, absorbs our carbon dioxide, provides us with food, and supports the livelihood of millions of people. Climate change, overfishing, ocean plastics and many other pressures are posing a serious threat to the ocean and to the planet as a whole. There is a growing global awareness of the various threats to ocean health, and we are seeing efforts from the global to the local levels to respond to them. Nevertheless, the actions of government and associations are often disconnected and uncoordinated and frequently end up excluding those communities which are most reliant upon the ocean. The Hub seeks to promote a genuinely inclusive approach to ocean governance, which is urgently needed.

Every choice is a vote

As a cconscious consumer, one of the most important ways you can make a difference is by supporting brands that are water-wise. Think of every purchase you make as a vote, and use yours to vote for change and for the establishment of a system that puts people and the planet first.

As a sustainability-focused curator of luxury brands, we take our role very seriously. That’s why every partner brand you’ll find on Plain Tiger is vetted according to a strict set of requirements. In this way, we can put the spotlight on brands that are doing everything they can to minimise their carbon footprint, respect and preserve our natural resources and promote fashion that doesn’t cost the earth.

This World Water Day, we’d like to show some love to three of our brands who are committed to this mission:

Yodi

Yodi is a beauty brand founded by industry veteran and social entrepreneur, Hélène Azancot. For Hélène, creating a range that truly represented sustainable beauty meant finding a solution to one of the most pertinent climate-related issues the world is facing: water-scarcity. With water becoming an ever more rare and valuable resource, the mindset of product manufacturers like Hélène Azancot is that in order to create something that has the smallest carbon footprint, it needs to be created without water. The alternative? Aloe vera juice. And it works wonders.

Olistic the Label

Lovers of all things boho, this one’s for you. Olistic is a French, sustainable luxury fashion brand that focuses on redefining the feminine wardrobe. In the collection you’ll find a few of fashion’s most-loved staples, made with eco-friendly materials such as peace silk, wood fibres and upcycled, luxury deadstock. Founder, Camille Jaillant works extensively with the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Alliance and UNECE Forest for Fashion (the European Commission for Europe of the United Nations). Some of its timeless pieces are made from cotton poplin using GOTS-certified cotton. Its organic cultivation is respectful of the condition of the soil and is extremely water efficient.

Inlight Beauty

Inlight Beauty believes in and practices slow beauty. Each ingredient is extracted, mixed and slowly distilled for over a month in cold-pressed oil, being exposed to the perfect amount of sunlight and moonlight to harness their rejuvenating potential. Once the oils have been imbued with their powerful herbal ingredients, they are filtered to produce a pure oil blend. The final touch is the addition of essential oils or beeswax. Inlight Beauty’s formulations are completely waterless – a first for the British beauty industry.

Act today, in whatever way you can, to help move the world towards a sustainable future. Happy World Water Day, Make it a day that counts, and do it because tomorrow counts, for everyone, everywhere.