Photo © Courtesy of Water.org
By Moree Lambeth, Lead Content Creator, Water.org
On April 22nd, we celebrate Earth Day. Rooted in the passions and motivations of a handful of thoughtful, environmentally conscious, world-changers of the 1960’s, Earth Day is a global celebration that demands an elevated mindfulness of our planet. On this day, we uphold and bring awareness to Earth’s fragile, necessary resources like… water. As global champions of universal access to safe water, allow us to explain why on earth, water matters.
Here are five reasons why on earth water matters:
- Water connects every aspect of life; it underpins the viability of every living thing. Safe, fresh water is critical for consumption, sanitation, agriculture, livestock, and developing and sustaining the ecosystems, on which our lives and the lives of all living things depend.
- Water is necessary every day. People need water every day. Due to population growth and food and energy demands, the global demand for water is projected to increase 20-30 percent per year by 2050. This means more people will be trying to access water when already, nearly two-thirds of the global population experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.
- Water protects and saves lives. One hundred and twenty two million people globally depend on surface water or rivers to meet their basic needs for survival and 1.7 billion people lack access to a toilet. These issues, in addition to the fact that 2.3 billion people globally don’t have access to soap and water to wash their hands at home, can lead to deadly diseases. Nearly 1 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related diseases that could be prevented with access to safe water.
- Water helps break the cycle of poverty. Without access to water at home, women and children around the world spend 200 million combined hours a day collecting it. With lasting access to safe water at home, women, children, and their families have the time and health to learn, earn, and break the cycle of poverty. Once basic household water needs are met, lasting access to safe water at home can provide direct income from selling water to others and secondary income-generating opportunities.
- Water impacts our economy. The impact of climate change on the world’s water will impact our global economy. As a result of water-related losses in agriculture, health, income, and property, some regions of the world could see their gross domestic product rates decline by as much as 6 percent by 2050.
Water matters to the earth and all it holds, and it is why on Earth Day and every day, Water.org remains dedicated to making safe water and sanitation solutions accessible and sustainable for everyone, everywhere. There are eight billion people on Earth, and right now one in ten of them lack access to safe water. Through Water.org’s financial approach, families who lack safe water at home can get affordable access to locally appropriate and often climate-conscious safe water and sanitation solutions that support climate resiliency. To date, we’ve helped change the lives of more than 52 million people.
Water is the best investment the world can make to reduce disease, improve the global economy, and preserve and protect life. On Earth Day, give to increase access to a critical resource that matters to our planet and everything that lives on it—give the gift of safe water. Donate at Water.org.
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