“Fracking no, fracking never! Clean energy, now and forever!” chanted about 140 protestors from various communities in Cape Town, as they took to the street on Human Rights Day, to protest against plans that Royal Dutch Shell and other companies have to explore for shale gas in the Greater Karoo Basin.

This year, World Water Day was celebrated on 22 March and focused specifically on water and food security.

'We need coordination and collaboration of international organization' said Julia Bucknall (Manager of the Bank's central unit for Water, World Bank durning the session 'Water and Climate Change: The Road to COP17'. The World Water Day conference held at Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC), noted that unfortunately water issues are not currently integrated into the COP17 agenda. The first step to take is to ensure that it is at the heart of the policy response to climate change. It is imperative that the message about water scarcity needs be addressed.

Communities need to join with the public sector to solve the worldwide water crisis. The problem can no longer be resolved from the top down. This important insight was mentioned during a discussion at the World Water Day conference held at Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC).

Southern Africa's best known landmark, Table Mountain was lit in blue on Friday night by HRH the Prince of Orange (Netherlands) and Under Secretary General of the United Nations and the Executive Director of UN Habitat. The lighting was to commemorate the right to water and this years' UN World Water Day themed 'Water and Urbanization, Responding to the Urban Challenge' which is held in Cape Town at the International Convention Center.

In time for Word Water Day, 22 March, Sodastream has teamed up with The Water Project, a global non-profit organisation, in the One to One initiative to provide continued support to people affected by a lack of clean drinking water in Africa. Sodastream is South Africa's leading home-carbonation system.

'Whatever we do to the water bodies on this planet, we're doing to ourselves.' Both Earth and our human bodies consist of 70% water and 30% solids. 'On this planet the water cycle and the life cycle is one,' said Helen Lockart of the Two Oceans Aquarium on World Water Day.