One billion people in the developing world don’t have access to it. Yet, we take it for granted. Water is the foundation of life, but still all around the world, far too many people spend their entire day searching for it. In places like Africa, time lost gathering water and suffering from water-borne diseases is limiting people’s potential. Education is lost to sickness. Economic development is lost while people merely try to survive. Access to clean drinking water and sanitation is closely linked to children’s education. Many children experience a decrease in their learning potential, which in turn leads to stunted development, lower concentration and poor academic performance.

Water scarcity can mean scarcity in availability due to physical shortage, or scarcity in access due to the failure of institutions to ensure a regular supply or due to a lack of adequate infrastructure. Water scarcity already affects every continent. Water use has been growing globally at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an increasing number of regions are reaching the limit at which water services can be sustainably delivered, especially in arid regions. Nearly half the global population are already living in potential waterscarce areas at least one a month per year and this could increase to some 4.8–5.7 billion in 2050. Give water and saves today.