How vital is a continuing supply of fresh water to all countries of the world?

Freshwater resources worldwide are so important that the United Nations has proclaimed the year 2003 as the International Year of Freshwater. The decree encourages governments through the United Nations to increase the awareness of the importance of sustainable freshwater use, management and protection.

To help promote and publicize the freshwater program, the U.N. Postal Administration has issued a set of six new commemorative stamps with a freshwater theme. The U.N. Postal Administration in New York; Geneva, Switzerland; and Vienna, Austria, each will release two stamps as part of this joint effort.

The designer of the stamps is surrealist artist Rick Garcia of Miami. According to Garcia, each design depicts surreal imagery of people, animals and insects. The locations are a swamp, a mountain scene during fall and a northern high country area in winter.

The pair of U.S. stamps portray a person in a canoe gliding through waters and vegetation toward receding water.

A souvenir card also has been issued with the same theme. The card depicts the new stamps and carries a statement by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The card will be available through October.

First-day covers will be available by calling (800) 234-UNPA from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.