How you can help billions of people around the world get safe water
In North America, we usually take our access to clean water for granted – but many people around the world don’t have that privilege. Often, these people are impoverished and underrepresented.
World Water Day’s mission is to get clean drinking water to everyone who needs it. After all, clean water is a human right.
For many, safe water isn’t an option
According to World Water Day, “2.1 billion people are still living without safe water.” That’s almost a third of the global population!
Think North America is immune to this issue? Think again. The Flint, Michigan water crisis has been ongoing since 2014. In Canada, many First Nations communities continue to suffer safe water crises of their own.
Climate change makes safe water even more scarce
As temperatures climb due to climate change, finding reliable water sources is becoming even more difficult for remote communities. Droughts wreak havoc on water supply and also affect food production – without water, fruits, veggies, and crops cannot grow.
Unsafe water’s devastating consequences
“700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.”
That’s what World Water Day says could be the result of the global clean water crisis. As if that’s not terrifying enough, they also report that “more than 700 children under five years of age” die from physical ailments caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. Unclean water also spreads deadly illnesses like “cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio,” according to the World Health Organization.
The clean water crisis has a particularly scary effect on the lives of women and girls. In many remote communities, women are tasked with water collection. Not only could this time-consuming process prevent them from receiving an education, but the long journeys also put them at risk for physical attacks.
You can make a difference
- Start by spreading the word. Whether in person or through social media, sharing is truly caring. The more people who know about World Water Day, the better.
- Why not attend a World Water Day event? Check their website to find out if there’s an event scheduled near you, or you can even create your own.
- If you want to get political, ask your local government to support clean water initiatives.
- Donate to or volunteer for nonprofits that help to provide clean water around the globe.
- Do you part to combat climate change, by adopting eco-friendly habits, going plastic-free, reducing your carbon footprint, and swapping your everyday household items for environmentally-friendly alternatives.
- Bring attention to the effects of climate change – and the role we can all play in reducing our carbon footprints. Our “Water is Life Protect It” organic crewneck is a great way to spread the word! Plus, we donate a portion of our profits to environmental organizations.
Unsafe water is tied to a bunch of terrible issues – disease, poverty, discrimination, and even women’s rights. However, initiatives like World Water Day could change the lives of the 2.1 billion people without access to clean water – but they need our help.
Here are some other important issues you can help with:
