Water is essential for human life, making up 60% of the human body and 70% of the brain. Access to clean water is a basic human right, yet over 1 billion people still lack access to clean water and that number is projected to rise to 2 billion by 2050. Ensuring access to clean water can dramatically improve health outcomes and opportunities for education, especially for women and children in developing nations.

1. Water
is…

2. Water is
60% of
your body.

3. Water is 70% of your brain.

4. Water is 82% of your blood.

5. “Water is a
human right.”
-United Nations,
July 2010

6. The WHO sets
50 liters per person
per day as a minimum for
drinking and hygiene.
Americans use
575 liters.
Japanese use
373 liters.
Many in West Africa
survive on
less than 5 liters.

7. Your home
electricity
requires
1,000 liters
a day
to generate.

8. Your daily food requires
2,000 liters of water
a day to produce.

9. Japan imports
420 million liters of
mineral water a year.

10. Japan’s yearly food imports need
64 trillion liters of water
to produce.

11. Until recently, few Japanese had
experienced water insecurity.

12. 30 kgs
=60 500ml
over
PET bottles
But
1 billion
people
struggle to
get water
every day.

13. 100 million
girls and women
walk hours a day
to fetch water for
500 million
family members.

14. 1 in 6 people in the world
lack access to clean water.

15. Today there are
1.1 billion
people who
don’t have
clean water.
By 2050, there
may be
2 billion.

16. Half of the
world’s
hospital beds
are occupied
by people
made sick by
unclean water.

17. A child dies of a water-related
disease every 15 seconds.

18. “It is unacceptable that children die
of diarrhea in the 21st century.”
-Melinda Gates

19. “Of all the different things that keep people
in a death spiral of extreme poverty, water is
so huge. And it doesn't have to be.”
-Matt Damon

20. Six hours of sunlight
disinfects water.

21. Clean water
dramatically
decreases
infant
mortality
rates.

22. Clean water
means
healthier
children and
more
independent
mothers.

23. A new well
means a girl
cango to
school,
rather than
fetch water
for her family.

24. Clean
water
restores
human
dignity.

25. Credits
Portions of this presentation inspired by
“Thirst” by Jeff Brenman of Apollo Ideas
(www.apolloideas.com) used by
permission.
Photos by Fredinand Reus:
Slides 5, 6, 9, 13, 17, 18, 20.
Used by permission.

26. Read more…
For sources and further
reading visit:
www.mizuproject.org/water-is/