2. 随着人口增长，城市人口流动增加，气候变化越来越明显，经济发展变化导致土地用途发生变化，以可持续方式管理水资源变得至关重要。水对满足种种生活需要(例如粮食、能源、环境卫生、生境、运输、生态系统和娱乐)十分重要，公众和政界对此认识日益加深，并产生了一种紧迫感，由此在 2000 年通过了千年发展目标，并随着在 2002 年通过《可持续发展问题世界首脑会议执行计划》《约(翰内斯堡执行计划》)，产生了新的承诺。32003 年，利用成功举办国际淡水年的势头，会员国同意启动整个“十年”，致力于提高对水的认识和更好地执行关于水的项目和方案。为重点关注水和填补空白作出了努力，将以有利于可持续发展的方式处理水的问题。因此，2005-2015 年“生命之水”国际行动十年应运而生，这源于这样的认识：水不仅是生活的命脉，也支撑着维持生命的许多支柱。
2. With the growth of populations, the increasing movement of people to cities, the taking hold of climate change and the occurrence of land-use changes due to changes in economic development, the need to sustainably manage water resources became critical. Public and political awareness of the importance of water for so many of life’s needs (related, e.g., to food, energy, health, habitat, transportation, ecosystems and recreation) gained traction and generated a sense of urgency which led to the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 and new commitments associated with the adoption of the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation) 3 in 2002. In 2003, taking the impetus gained from the successful International Year of Freshwater, Member States agreed to launch an entire decade dedicated to raising the awareness of water and improved implementation of water projects and programmes. Efforts were to be made to focus attention on water and to fill gaps so that the subject of water would be addressed in ways that supported sustainable development. Hence the International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”, 2005-2015, was born, recognizing that water not only is life, but is also required for support of the many pillars that uphold life.