WATER IS LIFE

Access to basic water supply and sanitation services are increasingly acknowledged as fundamental for health and development, and are being increasingly accepted as a fundamental human right. In observance of World Water Day on March 22, 2008, I thought I’d share some interesting facts about this basic necessity that can help translate the global problem into terms that are a bit more easily digestible:

• A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water.


• A human being needs about .5 to 1.5 gallons of drinking water - which weighs from 4.5 to 11 lbs - per person per day to maintain health. Imagine carrying enough water to meet your family’s needs every day.


• Did you know the average girl/woman in Nicaragua spends 6 hours a day obtaining water? By bringing water to her household, 10 years of her life (6 hours day times 365 days times 40 years) can be freed up to be much better spent on other things such as education, economic development, and improving health.


• A third of the Earth’s population lives in “water-stressed” countries and that number is expected to rise dramatically over the next two decades.


• We use an average of nearly 40 gallons of water per person each day in our homes; our great grandparents managed with under 5 gallons.


• Many people in the world exist on 2.5 gallons of water or less each day. Our toilets can use that amount in one flush.

So what can you do??? Here are a few concrete ways you can immediately get involved:

• Join PCI and other organizations to participate in the Walk for Water that will take place in LA, Seattle and NYC on Saturday, March 22.


• Join the Virtual Walk for Water and your name will be included in a symbolic water jug to be carried by a participant in one of the local Walk for Water events.


• Create a Water Advocate page and tell the world why the cause matters to you.

Over one billion people on the planet lack access to clean, safe water. Let’s take this opportunity to effect change and make a positive contribution toward addressing the problem – one family, one village, one community at a time.