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Join our mission to share clean water with those in need. Learn about the global water crisis, the importance of water conservation, and how you can make a difference. Discover the impact of water scarcity on communities worldwide and the urgent need for sustainable water practices. Help us tackle water-related health issues and empower individuals by ensuring access to clean water. Together, we can create a more water-secure world for present and future generations.
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Mission: To Share Clean Water with Those in Need NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICA SPECIAL ISSUE Water OUR THIRSTY WORLD
Our Water • NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S FRESH WATER IS LOCKED IN ICE • MOST OF THE REST IS IN AQUIFERS THAT WE’RE DRAINING MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN THE NATURAL RECHARGE RATE • TWO-THIRDS OF OUR WATER IS USED TO GROW FOOD
Our Water • WITH 83 MILLION MORE PEOPLE ON EARTH EACH YEAR, WATER DEMAND WILL KEEP GOING UP UNLESS WE CHANGE HOW WE USE IT • AMERICANS USE ABOUT 100 GALLONS OF WATER AT HOME EACH DAY. • MILLIONS OF THE WORLD’S POOREST SUBSIST ON FEWER THAN FIVE GALLONS.
Our Water • 46 PERCENT OF PEOPLE ON EARTH DO NOT HAVE WATER PIPED TO THEIR HOMES. • WOMEN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WALK AN AVERAGE OF 3.7 MILES TO GET WATER. • IN 15 YEARS, 1.8 BILLION PEOPLE WILL LIVE IN REGIONS OF SEVERE WATER SCARCITY.
Health • ONE OUT OF EIGHT PEOPLE LACKS ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER • 3.3 MILLION DIE FROM WATER-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS EACH YEAR • WASHING HANDS WITH SOAP CAN REDUCE DIARRHEAL DISEASE BY 45 PERCENT
Waterworks • THE WEIGHT OF CHINA’S THREE GORGES RESERVOIR WILL TILT THE EARTH’S AXIS BY NEARLY AN INCH • THE LONGEST WATER TUNNEL, SUPPLYING NEW YORK CITY, IS 85 MILES AND LEAKS UP TO 35 MILLION GALLONS A DAY • DAM PROJECTS HAVE DISPLACED UP TO 80 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE.
Hidden Water The world consumes trillions of virtual gallons: • Serve a pound of beef and you are also serving up 1,857 gallons of water. A cup of coffee? That’s 37 gallons, enough to fill the average bathtub. Pull on a pair of jeans and you’re soaking in 2,900 gallons. This is our freshwater consumption we don’t directly see. It’s called virtual water: the Amount of water used to create a product.
Mission: To Share Clean Water with Those in Need www.livingwatersfortheworld.org (revised July 2010)