Water; the basic fluid required for all organisms to survive. A factor connecting every aspect of life. Over 2/3rds of the world is covered in it! However, today 785 million people, 1 in 9 people, will lack access to safe drinking water and 2 billion people, 1 in 3 people, will lack access to a toilet.

In many countries in Africa and Asia, women and girls are responsible for collecting water. This takes time away from work, school and caring for their family. Women will spend a collective of 200 million hours a day collecting water.

Nearly 1 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene related issues, which could be prevented with access to safe water and sanitation. Diarrhoea is one of the top leading causing of child mortality. In addition, a child dies every 2 minutes due to a water-borne disease.

The time spent collecting water can account for billions of pounds lost. Women who are burdened with the task of collecting water spend hours, multiple times in a day collecting water from rivers and ponds or community kiosks. Around 280 billion pounds is lost globally due to time spent collecting water and no income earned.

‘’When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.’’ – Benjamin Franklin.

We all know that 785 million people living without water should no be normal. Or 2 billion people not having a toilet. Today, we all can contribute to a change for the better by donating to water charities, or turning off taps when brushing your teeth. Every charge, big or small, will aid people affected by the water crisis.  

By Gursiman Ghataura