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Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with—is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.

As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people—they are exposed to diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses. Two million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone.

Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. More than half the world’s wetlands have disappeared. Agriculture consumes more water than any other source and wastes much of that through inefficiencies. Climate change is altering patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in others.

At the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.

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1. How much of our planet does water cover?
2. Then why is there not enough of it?      (what is rare about it?)
3. Inadequate sanitation can cause what?
4. What problems are we facing in 2025?

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Water covers...
There is not enough water because
Inadequate sanitation causes ..
The water problems we face in 2025 are ...
This is because of..

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Fast facts: Global water crisis

785 million people lack access to clean water. That’s one in 10 people on the planet.

Women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours hauling water every day.

The average woman in rural Africa walks 6 kilometers every day to haul 40 pounds of water.

Every day, more than 800 children under 5 die from diarrhea caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation, and unsafe hygiene practices.

2 billion people live without access to adequate sanitation.

673 million people defecate in the open.

One of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals aims to provide universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030.

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The United Nations recognizes the importance of addressing the global water crisis each year on World Water Day, March 22. Without clean, easily accessible water, families and communities are locked in poverty for generations. Children drop out of school and parents struggle to make a living.

Women and children are the most affected — children because they’re more vulnerable to diseases caused by dirty water and women and girls because they often bear the burden of carrying water for their families for an estimated 200 million hours each day.

Access to clean water changes everything; it’s a stepping-stone to development. When people gain access to clean water, they’re better able to practice good hygiene and sanitation. Children enjoy good health and are more likely to attend school. Parents put aside their worries about water-related diseases and lack of clean water access. Instead, they can water crops and livestock and diversify their incomes. Communities no longer vie for rights to a waterhole.

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1.What are the effects of not having clean water?
2. Who is effected the most by the lack of clean water?
3. How does access to clean water change people's lives?

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World Water day is ...
This day is important because..
The people most effected by lack of water are..
Clean water helps people because..

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Compare and Contrast the information given in this section: The fast facts about the global water crisis, the video, and the passages about Nya and her life.

Think about these questions as you read and listen to the information:
1.What are you noticing about the water crisis?
2.Who does it affect?
3.Why is it important to have clean water?

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1.The fast facts about the global water crisis taught me..
2. The Water Crisis video had interesting information about..
3. Passage_ about Nya shows that the water she and her family drinks is ...
4. This connects to the fast facts and the video because ..

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Today we are continuing to learn about the global water crisis and how it affects people. As you work today look closely at the information provided. Compare how this information affects the characters in our novel and people throughout the world. Examine the importance of water.

Use the sentence starters to help start your responses and help you gather information.