The climate crisis is a water crisis

What's the story?

More frequent and extreme flooding is polluting fragile water sources. Longer droughts are drying up springs. And it’s humans who suffer the consequences. People get ill, can’t work, and can’t go to school. Lives, livelihoods and futures are at risk.

The devastating flooding in Pakistan, coupled with the historic heatwaves and droughts across Europe this summer, have exposed the fragility of global water security. We want to see the government addressing this by urgently investing in clean water as part of climate adaptation.

Of all global climate finance to date, only 0.1% is spent on basic water, sanitation and hygiene. This investment simply doesn’t reflect what we’re currently witnessing – most people experience the impacts of climate change through water, either too much or too little. 74% of natural disasters between 2001-2018 were water-related. Read more about the links between climate and water

What are we calling for?
We're asking the UK government to invest at least a third of its existing international climate budget in locally led projects that will deliver clean and safe water to help people adapt to the impacts of climate change that they're experiencing right now. Read more about climate action

Why now?
COP27 is the world's largest decision-making forum on climate change and it's coming up in November. COP26 was hosted by the UK government last year in Glasgow so they still hold the Presidency, which means they can play an influential role in the build-up to COP27, which will be in Egypt. Read more about WaterAid at COP27

How do clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene help protect people against climate change?
With clean water and toilets that can withstand extreme and unpredictable weather, people can protect their families, their livelihoods, and their futures. Read more about how we're helping to build climate-resilient communities