Drop by Drop: Top 30 finalists selected

The first prize, the Nordic Council of Ministers Award will be handed over at a ceremony in Copenhagen on 5 June by His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Denmark.

The winner receives a 5,000 euro cash prize and the ad will be published in many European newspaper which have joined the UN in a media partnership

The top 30 ads, which can be seen in a gallery by clicking here, will be displayed on the competition website, exhibited worldwide and placed in European print media.

The purpose of the Drop by Drop competition is to create a print advertisement that inspires others to preserve water, now and for future generations.

The European ad competition is part of The Future We Want, the UN's global campaign leading up to the Rio+20 Conference in June 2012.

Judging by the number of newspaper ads created by Europeans across the continent - over 3500, there is no doubt that access to clean water is an essential part of the Future We Want.

The first two prizes in the advertising competition have now been decided.

Eszter Szigethy of Hungary has won the Youth Prize in the Drop by Drop Ad Competition for her entry Save Earthlings.

In the public vote almost 80,000 votes were cast and "Save your children" by Turkish graphic designer Toprak Onur is the Public Prize winner.

Drop by Drop is an initiative of the UN Regional Information Centre (UNRIC), in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers.