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Change starts with water

Water is the foundation. The necessary. The starting point.

Dignity starts with clean water
change starts with you
Dignity starts with clean water
change starts with you

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Help us make water impossible to ignore

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Help us make water impossible to ignore

The world needs change

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We are WaterAid and we are changing the world through water.

Clean water stops disease.

It keeps children in school and adults in work.

It means thriving communities and stronger economies.

It's one thing that changes everything.

Now and for future generations.

#ChangeStartsWithWater

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We need change now

90% of all natural disasters are driven by too much or too little water and the cities most impacted by these extremes are those least equipped to adapt.

Asian cities are becoming increasingly flood prone

90% of the top 20 cities flooding more often are in South and Southeast Asia.

The worst affected are Colombo (Sri Lanka), Faisalabad (Pakistan) and Surat (India).

These cities have seen heavy rainfall and flooding overwhelming drainage and sewage systems.

young man tending a shop with colourful packets hanging down

Yusuf Mohammad, 29, local resident and shopkeeper in Ibrahim Hyderi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Yusuf Mohammad, 29, local resident and shopkeeper in Ibrahim Hyderi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Yusuf lives in Ibrahim Hyderi, a neighbourhood with over one million people.

The weather has changed. When it rains, houses in the coastal areas collapse. Some children have even lost their lives.

There has always been some damage every year, but it has become worse now. Because of the drainage canal, people are suffering a lot.
Yusuf

European cities are becoming increasingly dry

The older the cities, the more they struggle with water and sanitation in heatwaves, as we saw recently in Madrid.

Aerial view of Madrid in the sun

Aerial view of Madrid. Image: Unsplash/Jack Gisel

Aerial view of Madrid. Image: Unsplash/Jack Gisel

Even though the infrastructure of European cities is vulnerable to extreme weather, the people are less impacted than those in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America because the economies are better set up to adapt.

East African cities are seeing extreme flips between droughts and floods

Nairobi (Kenya), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Kampala (Uganda) are experiencing this phenomenon known as climate whiplash.

The extreme weather is creating major water management challenges for urban communities, from water shortages to contamination and disease spread.

Smiling woman standing in dappled sunlight

Jane Mumba, Sylvia Masebo Community, Lusaka, Zambia.

Jane Mumba, Sylvia Masebo Community, Lusaka, Zambia.

Life in Jane's community has become more and more challenging in recent years.

Drought and flooding continue to be major concerns, especially here in Lusaka.

The balance between too much and too little water has made life unpredictable.
Jane
solar powered water tank

Solar powered water tanks provide clean drinking water to the Sylvia Masebo Community, Lusaka, Zambia.

Solar powered water tanks provide clean drinking water to the Sylvia Masebo Community, Lusaka, Zambia.

Solar panels give people hope. They provide light for children to study, energy for businesses to stay open and power for water tanks to provide clean drinking water.

If solar power is developed further, it will support businesses and improve daily life.

I want to ensure that my children and grandchildren are not burdened by these challenges. I want to be a good mother and create a better future for them.
Jane

At least 250,000,000 people around the world are impacted by extreme flips in weather

Clean water is essential for communities to adapt and stay resilient in our changing climate.