By Marc Yaggi, Waterkeeper Alliance.
We all know the feeling: you turn on the faucet, and nothing comes out. Maybe it’s a scheduled outage for a few hours, or perhaps a water main break. It’s an inconvenience, but for most of us, it’s temporary. Now imagine that uncertainty lasting for days or weeks, or becoming a constant part of life. You don’t know when, or even if, clean and safe water will be available.
For billions of people around the world, lack of reliable access to safe, sufficient, and affordable water is a persistent and growing reality. This is known as water insecurity. And it doesn’t just mean water is unavailable. It also includes water that is unsafe to drink, too expensive to afford, or too far away to reach. It affects daily life, physical and mental health, livelihoods, and even how people perceive their ability to withstand disasters.
