A Climate Crisis
Water is the primary way in which we will all experience environmental stress, and people living in poverty will be impacted the most
Changes in precipitation patterns, drought, and rising sea levels are some of the ways a changing environment drastically impacts the quality, accessibility, and management of the water and sanitation systems we all rely on.
People living in poverty are especially vulnerable to the impacts of a changing world because of their reliance on unstable water and sanitation systems, weaker institutional protections, and limited access to funding. These are the people we serve.
Building resiliency by increasing access to safe water
To lessen the impact of shortages tomorrow, we must expand access to water today. When households are connected to strong and resilient water systems, people can better withstand the effects of environmental change.
Water.org implements financial solutions that help build resiliency for people living in poverty by increasing access to small, affordable loans for sustainable and locally-appropriate household safe water and sanitation solutions.
Investing in water for families like Narwoga's
Narwoga, Mubiru and their children live in between Bombo and Kigwaga in Uganda. Narwoga struggled for years to collect enough water for her family. A distant river was her main collection source but when the rains slow and the temperatures increase, the river dries. A rain storage tank financed through Water.org’s local partner helps Narwoga capture enough water during the rainy seasons to sustain her family through the hot, dry periods.
References
- World Health Organization and UNICEF. (2025). Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene 2020-2024: Special focus on inequalities.
- World Health Organization and UNICEF. (2024). Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in schools 2015-2023: Special focus on menstrual health.
- World Health Organization, UNICEF, and World Bank. (2022). State of the world’s drinking water: an urgent call to action to accelerate progress on ensuring safe drinking water for all.
- World Health Organization and UNICEF. (2020). State of the World's Sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies.
- Hutton, G., and M. Varughese. (2020). Costs of Meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal Targets on Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.
- United Nations. (2019). UN-Water Policy Brief on Climate Change and Water.
- United Nations. (2021). Summary Progress Update 2021: SDG 6 — water and sanitation for all.
You can help people living in poverty become more resilient to the effects of a changing environment.
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