Taking a long hot shower is something many of us take for granted, just like turning on the tap when we need to drink, bathe or cook. But for the 750 million people [3] around the world who lack access to clean and safe water, finding enough to cook, clean, or bathe with is a harrowing daily ordeal.
By 2030, almost half the world’s population [4] will live in areas of high water stress, due to a combination of climate change, irresponsible water policies and rapid population growth. The mega-drought [5] in the western United States is likely to cause an agricultural crisis [6], while the wildfires ravaging California [7], Alaska [8] and British Columbia [9] signal that our forests have grown dry and brittle.