The theme for World Water Day 2018 is ‘Nature for Water.’ The focus this year is exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century. Challenges are many as 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water in their homes, which affects their health.

Climate changes give reasons to forecast that the number of people at risk of flooding will rise from 1.2 billion to about 1.6 billion by 2050, which is almost 20% of the world's population. At the same time, as a result of human activity, 64-71% of natural wetlands have been lost in the past hundred years. These are just some of the alarming data shared on the site of the International Water Bridge - an innovative international event hosted by Sofia, which makes it possible to put under a joint framework dozens of eventsheld at various places in the country and abroad, dedicated to World Water Day.

In connection with World Water Day, the Bulgarian Water Association and the I Love Water Association organized a national photo competition on the topic of "The Springs of Bulgaria." Its purpose is to present impressive footage and photosof various water sources, including mineral springs and a geyser in this country, as well as fountains and baths. The most interesting and beautiful photos are arranged in an exhibition that Antoaneta Salfidge from the I Love Water Association told us more about:

“There are many nice photos that arrived from all over the country. This year we have two themes‘Springs in Bulgaria’ and ‘Waterfalls,’so we will present great photos. We have collected about 200 of them. Ten out of them that gathered the biggest number of online voices have been automatically included in the exhibition. Many of the photos were taken high up in the mountains; in places that are hardly accessible and are worth seeing. The exhibition traditionally includes a total of 50 photos. 40 out of them were nominated by an expert jury. I want to point out that the prize pool is quite serious and is provided by the Ministry of Environment and Waters.”

One of the discussion topics accompanying the exhibition will be the management of mineral waters. There are 225 mineral springs in Bulgaria. In the southern part of the country they are 148, with natural mineral water springs prevailing there. There are 77 in the northern part of the country as most of the mineral water there is extracted by drilling. The healing properties of the Bulgarian mineral waters have been well known from ancient times to the present day.

“Many people from all over the country will visit the exhibition as interest is big. This year it will be on display in the Sofia HistoryMuseum, which is housed in the beautiful building of the Central Mineral Bath. In the period March 22 until the end of the month, the exhibition will be on display there. It is not by chance that we chose this place - on March 26th we will meet representatives of ministries responsible for the mineral water wealth of Bulgaria, many NGOs and the business to discuss serious topics related to mineral waters. The exhibition ‘Springs of Bulgaria’can be seen online on the site WaterBridge.info. It is already a tradition for these exhibitions to travel, so this year it will be presented at the ‘Water’ exhibition, which will start at the end of March at Inter Expo Center in Sofia, and then will travel all over the country.”

English: Alexander Markov