A Global Crisis
1 in 4 people doesn't have access to safe drinking water.
Nearly 1 in 2 people don't have a decent toilet.
That's unacceptable.
Whether it's a drink of water or a working toilet, water and sanitation are basic needs we often take for granted. But globally, over 2.2 billion people don't have clean drinking water access, 3.5 billion don't have a decent toilet, and 2.3 billion lack basic handwashing facilities.¹ This is the global water crisis.
Explore how water and sanitation access – and changing these numbers – are at the core of equality and opportunity for our planet.
"Water and sanitation flow through every aspect of sustainable development. Access to these essential services are human rights. A well-managed water cycle is critical to human society and the integrity of the natural environment."
– United Nations Water
Water is at the Center of Climate Change
Roughly 90% of climate disasters are water-related.⁹ We're seeing climate change already affecting water access for people through more extreme flooding and droughts. Low- and middle-income countries have the most to lose in the face of climate disasters. These communities are also the ones who contribute the least to climate change. We're building resilience so communities and their water sources survive climate change.
"Water touches every aspect of development and it links with nearly every Sustainable Development Goal. It drives economic growth, supports healthy ecosystems, and is essential and fundamental for life itself."
–The World Bank Group, Water
Join Us
While the world is behind in addressing this crisis, Water For People is actively changing these numbers. Because we know water and sanitation access is possible, for Everyone Forever.
¹ WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP), 2023 household data.
² WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP), Progress on household drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) 2000-2022: Special focus on gender, 2023.
³ World Health Organization, "Improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene can save 1.4 million lives per year, says new WHO report," 2023.
⁴ World Bank, Disease Control Priorities: Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, 2016.
⁵ The Economist, "Harnessing the economic benefits of investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene in Africa," 2023.
⁶ ⁷ The World Bank Group, "Water for Shared Prosperity," 2024.
⁸ WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP), Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, 2023.
⁹ United Nations Environment Programme, Climate Change and Water-Related Disasters, 2023.