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Water Security

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Fast Facts about Water Security

• Today, 1.1 billion people ─ one in six ─ do not have access to a safe and adequate water supply. This number could increase to 2.3 billion by 2025. (United Nations Development Programme, PlayPumps International)
• Most of our freshwater is used to grow food and other agricultural crops. Worldwide, agriculture accounts for 80% of global water consumption, and in Africa and Asia it accounts for 90%. To feed a growing world population, it is estimated that 14-17% more fresh water will be needed for irrigation by 2030. (United Nations Environment Programme)
• Of all water on Earth, 97.5% is salt water. Freshwater accounts for only 2.5% of the earth’s water, and only a small fraction of this amount is available for human use. Some 70% is frozen in the polar icecaps and the other 30% is mostly present as soil moisture or lies in underground aquifers. In the end, less than 1% of the world’s fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and in underground sources shallow enough to be tapped at affordable cost. In other words, if all the earth’s water fit in a gallon jug, available fresh water would equal just over a tablespoon. (World Health Organization)
• Millions of women and young girls spend hours everyday walking to collect water from distant, often polluted water sources. This chore keeps girls out of school and restricts women’s choices and opportunities. (United Nations Development Programme)
• 1.8 million people die every year from diarrheal diseases (including cholera), most of whom are children under 5 in developing countries. Nearly 90% of these deaths are attributed to unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, or poor hygiene. Almost half of these deaths are preventable; access to safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene, such as washing one’s hands with soap, could save at least 1 million lives per year. (World Health Organization, Healthy Environments for Children Alliance)
• In the U.S., the average person uses 100-176 gallons of water at home each day. The average African family uses about 5 gallons of water each day. (WaterPartners International)
• Climate change is expected to account for about 20% of the global increase in water scarcity this century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that global warming will alter precipitation patterns around the world, melt mountain glaciers, and worsen the extremes of droughts and floods. (World Resources Institute)

Quick Actions to Promote Water Security

• Every Drop Counts!
  H2Ouse offers tips for conserving water in every room of your house and in your yard. Use the “Water Budget Calculator” to find out how much water you are using in your home. See the “Top 5 Actions” to help you capture the water savings around your home.
• Test your local waters
  Participate in World Water Monitoring Day every year between September 18 and October 18 to test and report on the water quality of a local river, stream, estuary, or other water body. Visit the website to register your site and purchase a test kit. Visit the EPA for more instructions on how to monitor water resources. http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/volunteer/. In addition to monitoring your local waterway, consider organizing a trash clean up, going on a walk through your watershed, or talking to your school group or scout troop about water pollution.
• Sponsor a PlayPump
  A PlayPump is a merry-go-round attached to a water pump. While children have fun spinning on the merry-go-round, clean water is drawn from underground into a tank that is easily accessible by a simple tap. PlayPumps International raises money to donate merry-go-rounds to rural communities in need in Africa. Find out how to help sponsor a PlayPump, along with other ideas and tools for taking action to provide all people with safe water.
• Learn more about water
  Awareness is the first step toward making change! Visit YES! magazine’s Whose Water? issue to learn more about water and read stories about inspiring actions from around the world.
• Stay informed
  Visit the Groundwater Foundation to learn more about groundwater issues and ways that both kids and adults can help protect our groundwater. The Kids Corner provides lots of information, activities, and actions you can take. Stay informed by subscribing to the Foundation’s free newsletter.
• Tell your friends!
  It only takes one raindrop to start a storm. Inform as many people as you can about water issues and what they can to do to conserve water.
• Do a service project
  If you have time for a larger action project, visit Give Water a Hand for an easy-to-follow, illustrated guide about how to organize and carry out effective action-oriented local projects.

Want More Information?

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  The EPA offers a collection of water websites aimed at raising public awareness and encouraging involvement in water quality issues. There are separate sections for students in elementary, middle and high school.
• EcoSchool Design
  EcoSchool Design provides a list of resources with information about water systems on school grounds, ideas for getting started on projects, and case studies of water projects that are already working at schools around the world.
• Facing the Future resources
  • Additional Water Security Resources
• World Resources Institute (WRI)
  WRI is a nonprofit organization of scientists, economists, policy experts, business analysts, statistical analysts, mapmakers, and communicators working to protect the earth and improve people’s lives. WRI maintains EarthTrends, a searchable database of environmental information that features data and trends about the global water supply, fresh water ecosystems, and watersheds of the world.
• Water 1st
  Water 1st’s mission is to serve families in the poorest communities in the world as they implement community-managed projects that integrate water supply, sanitation, and health education. The website features short (less than 7-minute) field videos from around the world, as well as ways for youth and schools to get involved.
• WaterPartners International
  WaterPartners International is committed to providing safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries by working in partnership with donors and local communities. The website is full of facts about water and water situations around the world, lesson plans for teachers and students, and examples of how schools have gotten involved.
• The International River Network
  The IRN supports local communities working to protect their rivers and watersheds. They seek a world in which rivers and the life they support are valued, everyone has access to clean water and energy, and development projects do not harm communities or the environment.