March 22 is World Water Day! Read and share the following tips, and do your part to ensure everyone has access to safe water.
Between 2015 and 2017 the Western Cape —a notoriously wet part of South Africa— endured three of its lowest rainfall years on record. Cape Town’s drought and the imminent threat of Day Zero was all we talked about. (Even sport took a backseat.)
When the severity of the situation sank in, we quickly began implementing water conservation at home, at work and pretty much anywhere else we could think of.
Nobody knew for sure if the dams would run dry. We just hoped and prayed they wouldn’t. While stressful, it wasn’t exactly a hardship. If anything, it helped us appreciate what a precious resource water is.
The City of Cape Town put restrictions in place, but that’s where it ended. When we opened the tap to brush our teeth or fill the kettle, water gushed out like it always had. Clean, safe water, and liters of it.
Not everyone is that lucky. According to World Vision, women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours hauling water every day. Add to that the 892 million people without access to proper sanitation and suddenly our crisis wasn’t actually a crisis after all.
Access to Safe Water Is a Human Right
In 2010, the United Nations recognized, “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.”
Currently, there are 844 million people living without access to safe water. This is due to a variety of factors, such as climate change, population growth, forced displacement, discrimination, etc.
The global water crisis is everyone’s problem. We can no longer afford to take a separatist viewpoint on this issue. It’s not a matter of ‘us and them.’ We’re in this together, so it makes sense that we tackle it together.
Leaving No One Behind
The theme for World Water Day 2019 is Leaving No One Behind. Making that a reality may seem unimaginable, but in the wise words of Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
There are plenty of non-profits that are working to achieve access to clean water for everyone on the planet. Thanks to their collective efforts, making a difference has never been easier. If we all do something, together we can help the United Nations to achieve their goal of providing everyone with access to safe water and sanitation by 2030.
What Can You Do to Help?
In some parts of the world people (mostly women and girls) walk four hours a day to collect water. That would be a travesty if the water was clean, but it’s not. It’s filthy and rife with diseases. Imagine spending that amount of time on an activity that not only keeps you from going to school or earning a living, but also makes you sick (or worse). Clean water changes everything, and it starts with you.
Support Charities Fighting for Clean Water Access
Whether you donate your birthday, sign up for monthly donations or want to start a movement of your own, you can choose a water non-profit that resonates with you and help make World Water Day 2019 the year we turned the tide on the global water crisis.
Conserve Water at Home
Change starts in our own homes. When we value our own access to clean water, we help raise awareness among our friends and family about what a luxury it is. Use these tips to conserve water at home.
Take Action
Access to clean water is a global issue. In the United States, the Trump Administration is currently trying to gut the Clean Water Act. Join over 28,000 supporters. Sign and share this petition demanding that the Trump Administration protect American waterways.
If you want to make a difference on an issue you find deeply troubling, you too can create a Care2 petition, and use this handy guide to get started. You’ll find Care2’s vibrant community of activists ready to step up and help you.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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