[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 196 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 196

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                        April 17, 2007.
Whereas the global celebration of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out 
        of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 
        Rio de Janeiro;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly, via resolution, designated March 22 
        of each year as World Water Day;
Whereas although water is the most widely occurring substance on earth, only 
        2.53 percent of all water is freshwater and the remainder is salt water;
Whereas freshwater resources are further impaired by various forms of 
        industrial, chemical, human, and agricultural pollution;
Whereas climate change will increasingly pose a challenge for ensuring the 
        availability of sufficient water supplies at the appropriate times;
Whereas approximately one in six people in the world lack access to safe 
        drinking water and approximately two in every five people lack access to 
        basic sanitation services;
Whereas water-related diseases are among the most common causes of illness and 
        death, afflicting primarily the poor and very poor in developing 
        countries;
Whereas up to five million people die each year from preventable water and 
        sanitation related diseases, including one out of every five children in 
        the poorest countries;
Whereas every $1 invested in safe drinking water and sanitation yields an 
        economic return of between $3 and $34, depending on the region;
Whereas increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation advances efforts 
        towards other United States development objectives including fighting 
        poverty and hunger, promoting primary education and gender equality, 
        reducing child mortality, promoting environmental stability, improving 
        the lives of slum dwellers, and strengthening national security;
Whereas the participants in the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in 
        Johannesburg, including the United States, agreed to the Plan of 
        Implementation which included an agreement to work to reduce by one-half 
        from the baseline year 1990 ``the proportion of people who are unable to 
        reach or to afford safe drinking water,'' and ``the proportion of people 
        without access to basic sanitation'' by 2015; and
Whereas Congress passed and the President signed into law the ``Senator Paul 
        Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005'' (Public Law 109-121) which was 
        intended to ``elevate the role of water and sanitation policy in the 
        development of U.S. foreign policy and improve the effectiveness of U.S. 
        official programs'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of World Water Day;
            (2) recognizes the importance of increasing access to safe drinking 
        water and sanitation, as well as the conservation and sustainable 
        management of water resources, to human health and quality of life 
        across the globe;
            (3) urges an increased effort and the investment of greater 
        resources by the Department of State, the United States Agency for 
        International Development, and all relevant Federal departments and 
        agencies towards providing sustainable and equitable access to safe 
        drinking water and sanitation for the poor and very poor; and
            (4) encourages the people of the United States to observe World 
        Water Day with appropriate recognition, ceremonies, activities, and 
        programs to demonstrate the importance of water to humanity.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.