By Carley St. Clair
Water is a building block of life. With too little, we would not exist. With too much, homes and ecosystems are destroyed. World Water Day gives us a chance to reflect on protecting our most important–and precious–resource.
Recent stories about water pollution in Flint, Michigan; New Mexico, and Colorado remind us that access to clean water is an issue that affects us all. Here we have collected three stories from our grantees’ work, highlighting the power of raising voices and organizig for collective action.
China
Throughout China, water is polluted by manufacturing runoff, sewage, and fertilizers. In fact, most of the water in the country is not fit for human contact and nearly 200 million people lack access to clean drinking water. Citizens formed the community group Green Anhui to lobby for industry transparency in the face of high cancer rates in Anhui Province. Today, Green Anhui is a model for other environmental initiatives across the country. Learn what the group is doing to hold polluters accountable.
India
India struggles to provide access to clean water to its citizens. From building new community water systems to educating local people about how to use less water for farming, grantees are working across many facets of water in India. Read how clean water is changing lives in one Indian village.
Nigeria
Our grantees work to ensure that polluting industries are held accountable. The total oil spilled into waterways in the Niger Delta amounts to one Exxon Valdez-size spill every year. Although no amount of money can restore the once-pristine wetlands of Nigeria, the $84 million settlement Shell Oil will pay to local communities will let some people start to build new livelihoods.