Water is connected to every global goal

By Lina Bonova, Chief Revenue Officer

Published July 28, 2023

Right now, humanity faces multiple challenges that share a common connection. The cycle of poverty, inequality, a vulnerability to the effects of climate change; these issues, and more, stem from the lack of a primal resource needed by all, but not accessible to all. That resource is safe water.

Sustainable access to safe water is the critical solution to socioeconomic development, healthy ecosystems, and human survival. With it, women can have equity and equality, people can stay healthy, and economies can thrive.

Global access to safe water is fundamental to solving the most pressing social challenges of our time. These challenges are defined by the United Nations as Sustainable Development Goals. Each of the seventeen goals are an urgent call for action by all countries. I’ve spent 20 years of my career dedicated to helping the world achieve these goals. Through my work at Water.org, I help connect donors to scalable, long-term solutions that support the success of Sustainable Development Goal 6, clean water and sanitation for all, which underpins the success of the other SDGs.

We believe in the power of water to support the achievement of each goal. Here’s how...

Help deliver gender equity for women and girls

With lasting access to safe water at home, millions of women and children won’t have to spend hours of their time collecting the water their families need to survive. The fear of being harmed as they walk to distant sources to collect water will not inhibit their sense of safety. Worries about missing school or work to collect water will dissipate. And, the health of women, girls, and their families will improve as water is now available for all hygiene and consumption needs.

Their health, safety, and time no longer monopolized by the water crisis, with access to safe water at home, women and girls have more choices. They can choose how to spend their time, learning, earning and creating the life they want for themselves and their families — a life where they can go to school, increase their household income through work opportunities, and experience the health and well-being that flow from safe water.

Improve health

Everyone everywhere needs safe water to drink and to wash their hands; yet, one in ten people in the world lack access to it. This leads to the loss of one million people a year who die due to water, sanitation, and hygiene-related diseases. Access to safe water at home improves health and helps families protect themselves from illness and disease. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the world’s awareness about the need to wash hands to prevent the spread of deadly diseases. Right now, three out of ten people globally don’t have soap and water for this powerful, life-saving act.

Access to safe water directly helps families living in poverty prepare and protect themselves from dehydration, illness, and disease.

Increase access to education

The water crisis is an education crisis. The inequity and responsibility of the water crisis absolve a child’s opportunity to go to school, as they have a responsibility to their livelihood, and that of their families, to find the water needed to live. When families don’t have access to safe water at home, kids are often responsible for collecting it. Sharing the burden with their mothers, children around the world spend 200 million hours each day collecting water.

Reductions in time spent collecting water have been found to increase school attendance, especially for girls.

Fight climate change

Changes in precipitation, rising temperatures, drought, and rising sea levels are some of the ways climate drastically impacts the quality, accessibility and management of the water systems or sources we all rely on. People living in poverty are especially vulnerable to the impact of climate change because of their reliance on unstable water and sanitation systems, weaker institutional protections, and limited access to funding.

To help lessen the impact of climate change on these populations, we must expand access to sustainable, improved safe water solutions.

End poverty

Sustainable Development Goal 1 calls for “No poverty”. To break the cycle of poverty, people need lasting access to safe water at home.

$260 billion is lost globally each year due to lack of basic water and sanitation. Access to safe water at home turns time spent into time saved — giving families more time to pursue education and work opportunities that will help break the cycle of poverty.

Water is the precondition to all the SDGs and the foundation of sustainable, global development. Gender equity and social justice are my greatest motivators. I believe every person and company has a role in helping the world fight climate change, reduce inequality, improve global health and the economy, increase access to education, and break the cycle of poverty. By directing the focus of our globally conscious initiatives and partnerships to address improving access to safe water and sanitation, the environment, the economy, and humanity will benefit.

Right now, water is the best investment the world can make to make progress towards the global goals. Fund the work of Water.org and join philanthropists, corporations and foundations from around the world who share our passion and vision. We can partner to achieve your goals and the global goals. Let’s get started.