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 resources are renewable, differences in availability of water resources exist due to variations in seasonal and annual precipitation in different parts of the world; Whereas although water is the most widely occurring substance on Earth, only 2.5 percent of all water is freshwater, with a large portion trapped in glaciers and ice caps, and the remainder is salt water; Whereas freshwater resources are further reduced by various forms of industrial, chemical, human, and agricultural pollution; Whereas the drainage of wetlands for agriculture and the dissipation of water sources by land clearance lead to further exacerbation of water scarcity; Whereas according to the United Nations, by the middle of this century, global water demand could rise by 30 percent and as many as three billion people could be water-scarce; Whereas the poor are the most affected by water scarcity, with two billion people lacking safe drinking water at home; Whereas water-related diseases are among the most common causes of illness and death, afflicting primarily the poor in developing countries; Whereas initiatives that promote access to safe drinking water and sanitation that prevents contaminants from infiltrating fresh drinking water supplies are vital tools in raising the awareness of the importance of freshwater to the quality of life; and Whereas freshwater is vital to the development, sustainability, and progression of all humanity: Now, therefore, be it