World Water Day is celebrated across the globe on 22 March and a variety of events are organised in several countries to create awareness about preserving the fast depleting sources of drinking water.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations will be holding a series of discussions on the theme of World Water Day 2012 with focus on food security and water management.

Exhibitions, documentaries, musical evenings and other cultural programmes are also part of the celebrations to mark the day across the globe.

But beyond the brain-storming sessions and celebrations on a dedicated World Water Day, the stark reality remains that the majority of the global population has limited or no access to the clean drinking water.

Take a look at the photos which throw up the need for preserving every drop of water:

World Water Day
A starving Somali child is given water in Baidoa. Reuters
World Water Day
A man and a dog drink water from a fountain in Prague Reuters
World Water Day
A Sudanese girl from the war-torn Blue Nile state collects water from a muddy pond, in order to avoid a 12-hour wait at a water pump, in South Sudan's Doro refugee camp December 10, 2011. Reuters
World Water Day
Villagers carry pitchers filled with drinking water after visiting a well at Meni village, India. Reuters
World Water Day
People gather to get water from a huge well in the village of Natwarghad, India. Reuters
World Water Day
Villager carries empty plastic containers in Lamongan, Indonesia. Reuters
World Water Day
Two-year-old Saghar, who survived massive flooding in Pakistan, receives a bath at a camp for displaced flood victims. Reuters
World Water Day
Villagers collect drinking water from a well in Linshui County of Guang'an, China. Reuters
United Nations