Water issues, or issues for all of us

I place in your hands the twenty-sixth anniversary edition of “Water Matters”. It’s hard to believe that a year has already passed. A year of hard work, challenges, but also many rewarding moments. A year in which, thanks to you, our readers, we have only strengthened our conviction that it is worth it. There is no summary without context. Behind it lies the secret of all activities. Activities without which there would be no “Water Matters” today.

Water issues affect everyone

Water is the most precious substance on Earth. It satisfies the needs of our bodies, has great spiritual significance in many cultures, and is an integral part of ecosystems of great biodiversity. It is for this reason that “Water Matters” was created – to spread awareness of this precious resource, the threats it faces, and the actions each of us can take to protect it. “Water Matters” is for you.

Just as a drop drills the rock, we believe that with each article, each issue of the newspaper, knowledge about water will spread, and thus our quality of life will improve. Greater awareness will allow you to enter into discussions with water administrators, water and sewer service providers or organizations lobbying on behalf of specific interest groups. We will be collectively more aware and thus hopefully better prepared for the coming effects of climate change. Therefore, summing up this year of hard work, I would first of all like to thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to look at our website and read this article. Perhaps you are our regular Recipient, who – among thousands of others – bestowed their trust on us this year.

So thank you again, appreciating very much that our texts have been read not tens, but hundreds of thousands of times! This is a great honor for us. From the beginning, we feel a great responsibility for the content posted in the newspaper, so I assure you that we make every effort to ensure its substantive quality and credibility.

“Water Matters” – in this issue.

So, back to the point, in this issue I recommend Agnieszka Kolada’s text on water: Deep in darkness – how to live where the sun does not reach. ? The author writes about wondering what it would be like to live without light, in a space completely devoid of sunlight. To find out, you can go deep underwater, into the darkness, which still hides many undiscovered secrets. Staying below the surface, but this time of the Earth, we ask ourselves what we know about the underground water, or perhaps we are not paying attention to what is invisible to the eyes. Is groundwater just a source of drinking water? You will find answers to these questions in Margaret Komosa’s publication.

W tym wydaniu także o formalnościach, które musimy dopełnić, aby móc realizować swoje zamierzenia biznesowe. Zdarza się jednak, że różne okoliczności nie pozwoliły na ich rozpoczęcie, a nasze pozwolenie wodnoprawne traci ważność. Czy można je przedłużyć? Odpowiedzi udziela Katarzyna Biegun w dziale: Pozwolenie, zgoda, decyzja. Czy zrozumieć hydrologa to prosta sprawa? Kto to w ogóle jest hydrolog? – proszę mi wierzyć, że większość zapytanych o to osób nie odpowiada poprawnie. Dlatego to pytanie zadała sobie Marta Saracyn. Polecam ten ciekawy tekst.

The magazine – a year of editorial work

The publications mentioned above are not here by accident. Their content is the result of the work of the people who not only make up our editorial team, but also gave me a lot of credit when I asked them to cooperate in creating a newspaper about water. For which I thank them immensely, with emotion. I would also not like to leave out everyone whose work has contributed to the development of “Water Affairs” through this year. I would like to give special thanks to Joanna Strzelecka, who – together with her team – created the unique cover of the newspaper and is responsible for media and marketing. To paraphrase an advertising slogan – behind great things are great assistants. I wanted to express my thanks to the committed and courageous Iwona Szyprowska-Glodzik, who took on the challenge of daily, very demanding work in the editorial office.

I would also like to thank Anna Holeksa, who managed to read this text before publication, as she is our guardian of correct Polish – she edits most of the content you read. I also can’t help but mention a fantastic cartoonist – Mariusz Sopyllo, who colors our newspaper with color and humor in the Mesh section. I don’t know if you know, but apparently we are the only newspaper in the world that presents its past issues entirely online. This is thanks to Adrian Zymla, who oversees the architecture of our site and makes sure it is positioned properly. I am also grateful to each of the content writers for the various sections of the newspaper. You enrich our Magazine by demonstrating various aspects and dimensions of practical, theoretical and formal water expertise.

This article – not coincidentally – is illustrated with beautiful photographs. These are images created by nature and captured through the lenses of Polish nature photographers working with us, whom I thank from this place. The newspaper is also a business dimension, so to all the partners who believed in our success early on in our journey, I express my thanks for their support and good cooperation.

There is akingfisher on our first and anniversary cover for a reason. It is a delightful bird in many respects, whose occurrence is closely related to water. It primarily inhabits wooded areas along clear rivers, lakes or ponds. The kingfisher has rich symbolism. From a symbol of happiness and peace to determination. Apparently, in its message, it also carries the need to learn and explore new things, and it is only through such an attitude that it is possible to create awareness about what is happening to the water around us. Let’s remember that everything starts with water.

I hope that our continued commitment, of which I can assure you, will find your approval and appreciation in the years to come, and that water knowledge will spread throughout our country.

Today, with special emotion, I thank you that you are interested in water issues.

Photo authors: Michal Biedrawa, Wojciech Sobiesiak