As diverse as the nature of water were the events that took place world-wide to celebrate the World Water Day (22 March) created by the United Nations in 1992. They all had the same motto: "Water for Health", which distinctly points to the interrelation between top quality drinking water supply, hygienic standards and health. "In Austria and the rest of the Western world it was sound drinking water supply that contained epidemics and diseases and led to a definite increase in personal well-being," says Robert Köck, managing director of the ÖVGW.
Wolfgang Stalzer, the head of the Section Water Management in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW), knows to what extent water stimulates our imagination and emotions: "Water is a fascinating element. In all its forms, it is not only our basis of living but also conditions our sensual perception. In order to prove this, the Austrians were invited to send in their most personal water photo in the framework of the Water Prize Neptun 2000. Whether snow, fog, the plashing in the rivulet – every theme was possible. The photos should deal with the significance of the precious good water for our daily life both in a creative and critical form. Some examples of the overwhelming multitude of 3,000 photographs sent in are shown in this context (the Prize had not been awarded at the time of the press deadline) and prove the quality of the contributions. Allow yourself to get inspired by water!"
Austria celebrates the World Water Day
The Neptun competition "WasserBILD" was organised by the provincial governments of Vorarlberg, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Styria, Lower Austria, Burgenland and the Vienna Waterworks. EUR 3.633,64 are waiting for the winners in each of the provinces. After the evaluation of the photos up to 50 winners will be selected, whose photographs will tour the Austrian communities in an exhibition.
The exhibition "Water Sponsoring" of the BMLFUW, too, goes on a "journey" through Austria. Its aim is to find partners for the renaturalisation or preservation of near-natural waters throughout Austria. This network already exists on a European level. Already 60 groups support the international campaign of the Naturfreunde "Blue Rivers for Europe". The World Water Day was also the occasion for initiatives of the public utilities in Innsbruck. Thus, a traditional train was sent on a journey with information on drinking water. In the old centre of Graz the walk-in adventure installation "Torrent" invited the public to get involved with the element. In Linz the changes due to the recently adopted wastewater treatment amendment were presented in the Redoutensäle in the framework of a symposium. And the Schönbrunn Zoo invited the public to a complex encounter with the "life element" water over several days (March 19–25) – for example in the form of exhibitions, guided tours or the popular micro-theatre. (Source: aqua press Int. 2/2001)
