Such an annual event has been helping raise awareness worldwide about water problems since 1993.

This year distinguishes itself not only by observing the theme of "Water for Life," but also by initiating the 2005-15 International Decade for Action, the second water decade.

Water is both crucial to sustainable development and indispensable for human health and well-being. The theme "Water for life" succinctly reminds us how important it is for people's domestic and productive needs.

During the first "water" decade from 1981 to 1990, the international community managed to bring safe water to over 1 billion people and adequate sanitation to almost 770 million.

Given the experience obtained, and the technical advances made between the two water decades, we are justified in expecting more achievements.

But the harsh reality is that almost 1.1 billion people around the globe are still denied adequate access to water so we cannot be too optimistic.

As the world's population keeps growing, effective, efficient and equitable use of available water resources will become a matter of increasing urgency.

And that is particularly the case in China, a large and fast developing country that feeds one-fifth of the world population with per capita water resources equal to only one-fourth of the world average.

With one-third of China's rural population lacking access to safe drinking water, we can understand why Premier Wen Jiabao's promise of "clean water for the people" received thunderous applause from the National People's Congress, held early this month.

The outside world has been largely amazed by the country's 9 percent average GDP growth over the past quarter of a century. But few have paid enough attention to the growing strain that sizzling economic expansion has put on the country's limited natural resources.

Widespread brownouts that engulfed two-thirds of the country's regions and shortages of natural gas for winter heating in major Chinese cities like Beijing have frequently hit the headlines. This has caused alarm among the public and the Chinese Government.

However, an equally important cause for concern is that the country's per capita water resources dropped to only 2,040 cubic meters last year, down 4 per cent over the previous year. This problem has, unfortunately, been overshadowed by the anxiety over short energy supplies.

In the coming decade, China's population will steadily rise towards its assumed peak of 1.6 billion while the country's urbanization proceeds at pace. The changes in population distribution will add to our water-related problems.

Water is just one part of the development challenge, but its impact is among the most important.

Too much, too little or too polluted water all can ruin our economic progress, as well as damage our living standards.

Failure to understand the significance of this issue will get the country into trouble later.

The country's new water week provides a much-needed opportunity to hammer home water-saving awareness among the public.

But more concrete deeds are needed to deliver national goals like sustainable development and building a resource-saving society.

For instance, to persuade individuals and businesses to spend water like money, a smarter water price mechanism must be put in place as soon as possible.

The International Decade for Action also offers a good chance for China to co-operate with, and learn from, other countries in seeking local solutions to a global issue.

(China Daily March 22, 2005)