Water, water, everywhere...

..but would you drink it and who has access it to it?

'Restricted access to clean water is one of the most fundamental problems facing families in developing countries. It's a staggering fact that water-borne diseases kill more than two million people a year in developing countries - most of them children. Unthinkably, more than 6,000 children die each day as a result of drinking dirty, contaminated water.' Plan

Clean, drinkable water is a basic human right for everyone. Populations in Northern countries take this for granted. Despite the abundance of water resources, in many countries children are being excluded from access to water. One of the most poignant in the issues surrounding water is the fact that even when water resources exist they are unfit for consumption. The Executive Summary of the UN World Water Development Report is available online and finds that

- at any given moment almost half the developing world's people are sick from unsafe water and sanitation.
- lack of water supply and sanitation robs millions of dignity, energy, and time.
- half of the developing world’s hospital beds are occupied by victims of unsafe water and poor sanitation.

Thirsty for a story?

Read stories about thirsty children (Earthday) from

India
Jordan
Tanzania
The Mexico-USA border

Earthday runs a 'Water for Life Campaign', along with events every year on 'earthday'. Find out more about these campaigns, measure your ecological impact and find out about how to protect the health of your community here.