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Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction
"Only 2.5% of the world's water is freshwater.
However, almost all of it is locked up in ice or the ground. Only a tiny fraction overall is available for human use. (USGS)
The world’s underground aquifers are being rapidly depleted.
Since aquifers can take thousands of years to fill up, there’s not an infinite supply of water. The situation is critical. (NASA)
Water is a limited resource.
"We will always have the same amount of water on the earth, but we can't always use as much as we need." (National Drought Mitigation Center)"
- https://www.truthordrought.com/water
Though only around 25% of the global population currently faces water scarcity, scientists warn that by 2050 current projections predict that number will rise to 52% of the estimated 9.7 billion humans.
Explained | World's Water Crisis | FULL EPISODE | Netflix
18:42 minute video
Further Reading
Further Reading
The Water Footprint of Humanity This paper talks about international water use and scarcity, includes graphs + maps.
Click here to see how much water has been withdrawn this year, how much water has been withdrawn over time, and which countries use how much water per capita.
Where is Our Water Going?
Where is Our Water Going?
"Although most water-saving tips focus on household use, far more water is embedded in the things we buy – especially the food we eat.
Currently up to 90% of all managed water is used to grow food. (International Water Management Institute)"
As you can see in the adjacent graph, the exact percentages of water used between agriculture, industry, and home use vary, especially from one continent to another.
Discrepancy between exact statistic of how water is used may also lie in the issue that not all agriculture if for food, and some industrial processes are specifically part of food production.
For example slaughterhouse water use and waste might be counted as "industrial" instead of "agricultural", even though it is specifically part of the food industry.
The graph in this article shows how water from the Colorado river is used, split among residential and industrial uses, energy production, then agricultural use is split by type showing major textiles like cotton, but a whopping 55% of the river's withdrawals are used for livestock feed.
The following are listed from greatest use of water, to least.
Diet
Diet
70% of global water use is for agriculture. This includes food we eat, crops grown for textiles, cosmetics, and medicine. Some crops like rape produce oils needed as lubricant for sewing machines and other small devices.
Something is Drinking 50% of the Colorado River's Water 19:56 minute video crunches the numbers to see which agricultural activities drink up the most water.
While 20% of the water shortage in western states is blamed on climate change, evidence indicates that meat and dairy are responsible for 50% of water use. The data shows that there may not even be a water shortage crisis if not for the industry.
The video also touches on the topic of virtual water when it mentions the farm land used by China and Saudi Arabia to extract water from US aquifers to feed their own livestock, but found that local meat consumption by major American Cities accounts for the majority of the livestock industry's water use.
Virtual Water
Virtual Water
"Virtual water" refers to water used to grow crops or raise livestock in one country, which is then shipped to another country. This is particularly problematic when countries export water from regions with serious water shortages. Prime examples include the UK exporting vegetables from India and Saudi Arabia importing alfalfa from California and other western states in the USA to feed Saudi Arabia's dairy cattle.
Resources & Tools
Resources & Tools
Click the Plant-Based button for apps, calculators, food finders, recipe resources, documentaries and more.
Calls to Action
Calls to Action
Levels 1-3
Avoid Producing or Consuming Animal Products "On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet." - https://www.truthordrought.com/water
Grow Crops Indoors this has the potential to reduce water needs as water is recycled throughout the system. Estimates range from 80-99% water savings associated with indoor farming vs traditional methods. Indoor farming is most appropriate for small fruits, vegetables, herbs, and fungi, but not for common livestock feeds or large trees.
Water Crops Responsibly This can include updating to a drip irrigation system, using grey water, using the shade of trellises, solar panels, etc. or using mulch and cover crops as ground cover, all of which helps reduce the need for irrigation.
Level 4
Vote for leaders who will stand up against Big Ag and support farmers who want to transition towards environmentally responsible farming alternatives.
Contact Your Representatives asking them to end the subsidies that promote deforestation, climate change, and water shortages. Instead of continuously expanding meat and dairy production, remind them that funding plant-based farming will sequester emissions instead of just creating more. Crops use less water, and new methods of farming can further increase productivity while using less resources, meaning more money for farmers and less hungry mouths in our communities.
Industry & Manufacturing
Industry & Manufacturing
Industrial Waster Users
Industrial Waster Users
The following are not listed in any particular order (as we try to find more data), but represent some of the biggest industrial water consumers. Unfortunately these are also some of the biggest water polluters too, dumping massive amounts of chemicals into drinking and irrigation water. Neither ground nor surface water is safe, but laws and regulations can help when enforced.
Fossil Fuel Industries - Fracking, drilling, oil spills.
Mining Companies - these use water for separating dirt and rocks from product materials, and flooded mines can pollute water ways for centuries after operations end.
Fashion - Synthetic, crop, and animal-derived clothing and textiles all require water to produce. Tanning leather and dying fabrics releases deadly quantities of heavy metals and other dangerous chemicals into waterways and ground water.
Auto Industry - Requires a lot of mined materials, with smaller amounts of leather or other textiles, rubber, and plastics.
Lumber & Paper - Deforestation disrupts the water cycle, preventing rain from penetrating into aquifers, or from transpiring into clouds that water our farm lands. Growing trees requires a lot of water, but so does processing lumber into timber, pulp, and paper products.
Tobacco & Cigarettes "Every year the tobacco industry costs the world more than 8 million human lives, 600 million trees, 200 000 hectares of land, 22 billion tonnes of water and 84 million tonnes of CO2." - WHO
Fracking
Fracking
"Fracking consumes a massive amount of water. In the United States, the average can run between 1.5 million and 9.7 million gallons of water to frack a single well, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The amount depends on a few factors, including the type of well and rock formation. (A fracking operation in the Horn River Basin in Canada, for example, used almost 16 million gallons of water.) Water used for hydraulic fracturing is typically fresh water taken from groundwater and surface water resources. Although there are increasing efforts to use nonpotable water, some of these sources also supply drinking water. U.S. water consumption for fracking is still considered “negligible” compared with other industrial water uses (such as the cooling of coal-fired power plants). But fracking operations can strain resources in areas where freshwater supplies for drinking, irrigation, and aquatic ecosystems are scarce (and often becoming scarcer thanks to climate change). Water used for fracturing is too contaminated to return to its source without extensive treatment and so typically is disposed of deep underground, where it is removed from the freshwater cycle.
The amount of water used per frack job has grown over time, exacerbating fracking’s impact on water supplies. In fact, a Duke University analysis found that while U.S. producers scaled back on the installation of new wells between 2011 and 2016, the amount of water used for hydraulic fracturing surged. In the already drought-ridden Permian Basin region of West Texas, for example, water use for fracking during those years increased by as much as 770 percent. (Also concerning is the fact that the amount of wastewater generated during a well’s first year of production increased by as much as 1,440 percent during the study period.) The authors predicted fracking’s water footprint—the amount of water used and discarded—could increase by up to 50-fold in some regions by 2030." - according to NRDC
Leather
Leather
"cow skin leather requires 14 times more water than synthetic PU leather production" - https://circumfauna.org/leather-water-footprint
Oil Extraction (Non-Edible)
Oil Extraction (Non-Edible)
"United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates the lifecycle cost of extracting and refining one barrel of oil requires, on average, 1,850 gallons of water." - Frac Tracker: Oil and Gas Companies Use a Lot of Water to Extract Oil in Drought Stricken California
Click the Transit button to learn about transit options that can help reduce or eliminate your reliance on oil.
Calls to Action
Calls to Action
Levels 1-3
Only Buy What You Need & Avoid Excess Packaging
Buy Second Hand
Maintain & Mend
Recycle what can't be reused, sold, or given away.
Compost non-toxic products like bamboo toothbrushes and dye-free organic textiles.
Level 3-4
Tell Your Representatives to Hold Manufacturers Accountable for over-production, pollution, and end-of-life for their any products or packaging that are known litter.
Home Use
Home Use
Domestic water use accounts for the smallest part of the average person's water footprint, but there are many things we can do, which add up to a lot when done consistently and by more people.
Resources
Resources
A STEM in the Park - A Take Home Activity: Water Use At Home (PDF) "Pay attention and count how many times a day people in your household do the activities that use water. Enter the number of times in the chart. Multiply the number of times by the amount of water used in gallons. Then add up all of your totals. This is how much water your household uses in a day. Compare your amount with the amount of water an average African family uses each day. What would you cut out if you only had five gallons of water a day?"
Calls to Action
Calls to Action
These levels of action are listed numerically, but the bulleted suggestions are organized approximately from greatest impact to lesser.
Levels 1-3
Garden Use
Plant Natives They generally need less water than exotic plants, which is important because irrigation can be a household's biggest water guzzler for those who have gardens.
Xeriscape if you live in a dry climate. These can also help protect your home against fires, if you are in a fire-prone area.
Use One or More Water Harvesting Methods to help supplement garden and home use.
Use Grey Water to clean and/or water the landscape. This might be more effective than water harvesting if you use/waste more water than can be harvested in your area.
Showering
Upgrade to Low-Flow Shower Heads
Take Shorter Showers or Shower Less Often you can go more days between showering if you don't get particularly dirty or sweaty.
Shower with a Partner to save water. If you have one shower head, you can take turns washing off shampoo or soap.
Toilet Water
Install a Compost Toilet As these don't use water, and capture nutrients for garden use.
Install a Low-Flow Toilet or use an item such as a bottle of water or brick in the cistern to reduce the flush.
Install a Bidet Attachment this lets you use clean water instead of paper products to clean yourself. Less water is used for each cleaning than is needed to grow trees, then process them into paper products, and to support the transport sector that delivers toilet paper to you or local shops.
"If It's Yellow Let It Mellow" When there's a small amount of urine creating a light yellow colour, you can skip flushing. If the pee is darker, or orange, it's time to flush to avoid damaging the toilet porcelain.
Kitchen Water
Turn off Faucets when not in use. This means just turning it on to wash or rinse certain items, then switching it off when you turn to fill up the dish washer.
Hand Washing can use less water than a dish washer, but only if you don't run the tap the entire time, focusing on using water deliberately and sparingly. If this isn't a great option, then the next suggestion might be more effective.
Modern Dish Washers can use far less water than older models, and sometimes less water than hand-washing, depending on a person's habits.
Collect Grey Water from hand and produce washing. If you boil food without water, it can be cooled and poured on your plants, if hot, you can use it to kill weeds. Do NOT use salt water on soil.
Instead of Boiling Vegetables try baking them, microwaving, frying them in small amounts of oil, or steaming. I've reduced how long cooking meals takes by microwaving potatoes then mashing them, which also means I don't risk burning myself on steam while straining the water or losing potatoes down the sink like I used to.
Some foods NEED to be rinsed (quinoa), soaked (kidney beans) or boiled (yucca) to make them safe to eat. Don't avoid these important safety steps just to save water if you're food specifically requires such methods.
Laundry
Pick the Right Load Setting for Laundry Use the full setting only when the machine is actually full, otherwise see if you can get away with medium or low. Low and gentle can help protect any delicate clothing like lingerie.
Re-Wear Clothes instead of washing after each use. This isn't a great idea with underwear like socks and knickers or boxers which can trap and promote fungal growth (especially if you live somewhere warm and wet), but jeans, skirts, bras, and outerwear like coats and jackets should be worn at least a few times between washing both to save water AND to help those pieces last longer. The longer you can keep a piece of clothing wearable, the less resources like water are used to create more, and the less materials we send to landfills, where they cause groundwater contamination. If you have extra hanging space, it can be helpful to dedicate a small area of rod to worn clothes
Bathroom Tap
Turn Off the Water While Brushing Teeth
Turn Off the Tap When Hand Washing To get most soaps to work, you just need a quick splash of water, then to rub your hands with soap for 2 seconds, at this point you can turn the water back on when you are ready to wash the soap off.
Try Not to Run the Hot Tap unless you specifically need hot water.
Leaks
Check for Leaks & Fix Them as Soon as Possible This can save you money, but also your community will continue to have enough water for everyone.
Level 3-4
Contact Your Local Utility Companies or Politicians about infrastructure problems like leaks.
Some Tips for Re-Wearing Clothes
Some Tips for Re-Wearing Clothes
Items You Shouldn't Re-Wear
Items You Shouldn't Re-Wear
This isn't a great idea with underwear like
Socks, tights, or stockings.
Knickers/panties or boxers/briefs
which can trap and promote fungal growth especially if you live somewhere warm and wet! Wearing organic materials like cotton or bamboo should also help protect against fungus or yeast since they can breath, while synthetic fabrics are likely to cause infections.
Ideal Clothes to Re-Wear
Ideal Clothes to Re-Wear
Jeans, trousers, shorts, & JP bottoms.
Skirts & Petticoats
Bras, sports bras, & binders
Aprons
Dresses
Dressing gowns or housecoats
Outerwear like coats and jackets
Scarves, shawls, cold-weather gloves, & hats
should be worn at least a few times between washing both to save water AND to help those pieces last longer. The longer you can keep a piece of clothing wearable, the less resources like water are used to create more, and the less materials we send to landfills, where they cause groundwater contamination. I'll wash items like these after just one wash if I managed to make a mess of them on the first day or so, but that's generally to help reduce the chance of staining.
How to Keep Second + Day Old Clothes Tidy
How to Keep Second + Day Old Clothes Tidy
First, you will want to do a quick visual check to make sure you are not storing stained clothing, as this can attract bugs and give stains time to set. If the clothes are fine, consider the following options.
If you have extra hanging space, it can be helpful to dedicate a small area of rod to worn clothes. This is the best way to help reduce wrinkles, distinguish worn clothes from freshly cleaned clothes, and reduce the chance of things being knocked on the floor or lain on by pets.
If you don't have a hanging space try to find something you can drape the clothing over like the back of a chair or the foot of your bed.
Put Coats & Jackets on Hooks or Hangers This could be in the hall by your front door, on the back of the bedroom door or under the stairs.
Bras Need to be Aired Out on a hook, rod or chair. It is suggested that you rotate between two at any given time, just like you are supposed to with shoes. I keep mine on the same rod, indicating totally clean bras with the back connected, and worn bras are hung with their clips unclipped.
Water Harvesting & Reuse
Water Harvesting & Reuse
Click the following buttons to learn how you can harvest and reuse water at home.
Ecology & Water
Ecology & Water
This section is organized to help tell the story of this portion of the water cycle, and how the water cycle is being disrupted by climate change. By better understanding the physics, biology, and other interacting factors, we can generate more informed plans to maximize our success in repairing our water cycle instead of compounding the drought and flooding crisis.
Bio Water Cycle
Bio Water Cycle
Plants are vital to the water cycle with trees working hard to clean water, help water penetrate soils and aquifers, as well as respiring water back up into the atmosphere into clouds that produce rain which refills watersheds far away.
Flying Rivers
Flying Rivers
This refers to rain falling in places like the Amazon, the water then being transpired into the atmosophere creating "flying rivers" that can travel long distances, providing rain for farmers in distant countries.
Bio-Rain Corridor
Bio-Rain Corridor
"This term helps describe the continental behavior of rain, it accentuates the importance that biology has on rain patterns, and it connotes eco-restoration possibilities by its similarity to the term biological corridor.
Hubert Savenije, a Dutch hydrologist studied moisture hopping ( aka the small water cycle) in the Sahel in Africa. Moisture hopping is where water vapor blows inland, falls as rain to the ground, and then is evapotranspired to blow further inland. Savenije found that a lot of the rainfall further inland had come from the coastal forests, and that as these forests had been chopped down, the rainfall decreased. [1]"
"Savenije’s student, Ruud van der Ent, modeled the flow of continental water moisture, and found that in South America the water moisture hopped from the North Atlantic ocean into the Amazon rainforests, then was turned southward by the Andes mountain, to hop into southeastern South America. 70% of the water above the Amazon forests ended up in southeastern South America. [2]
Van der Ent found that 80% of the rain in China had moisture hopped across the boreal forests of Scandinavia and Russia."
"Victor Gorshov and Anastasia Makarieva, two Russian atmospheric physicists have looked at the pattern of rainfall on continents. When there are not a continuous corridor of forests the rainfall decreases exponentially as one moves inland (see the D,E,F,G,H arrows in diagram below). When there are forests as in the Amazon in South America, the Congo rainforests in Africa, and the boreal forests of Russia, the rainfall does not decrease as one moves inland, it in fact increases slightly..."
"The forests and vegetation are creating a pathway for the rain to moisture hop inland via the small water cycle. The land is able to absorb the rainfall so that it can evapotranspire back up, to then blow further inland to create more rain. Vegetation also releases bacteria and fungi spores which float up into the air and help the water vapor nucleate into cloud droplets. The forests slow the wind down so that the water vapor has more chance to condense into rain. And the Biotic Pump hypothesis of Makarieva and Gorshov [4], theorizes that when the water vapor evapotranspired by forests condenses into clouds it creates a low pressure area that attracts more water vapor to blow in from the ocean." - https://climatewaterproject.substack.com/p/bio-rain-corridor
Solution
Solution
"In order to restore our rains further inland we need to restore the bio-rain corridor, a chain of vegetation that goes from the coast to further inland. Regreening our coastal cities, rewilding the area outside cities, restoring the various biomes can help decrease drought further inland. Depaving asphalt and concrete so that the earth can absorb rainfall aides the small water cycle." - https://climatewaterproject.substack.com/p/bio-rain-corridor
Ground Water Recharge
Ground Water Recharge
According to our growing understanding of tree roots and aquifers we are learning that "Intermediate Tree Cover Can Maximize Groundwater Recharge in the Seasonally Dry Tropics".
Farms & Industry
Farms & Industry
Farms, industries, and government organizations not only dumped toxic chemicals into our water supplies, but have removed a lot of natural filters by hunting beavers to near extinction, poisoning birds that spread tree seeds, hunting herbivores that kept understories healthy and trapping or shooting the carnivores that helped keep all the other species in balance.
As a result our waterways are more polluted. Once-forested areas are being stripped of their soil and droughts are creeping over areas that once hosted rich wetlands. Places that are increasingly being destroyed by bigger and stronger wildfires have noticed that where species like beaver have managed to make a return have suffered little to no damage from the flames.
Indicator Species
Indicator Species
Indicator species are ones that can only live in under certain conditions, and who indicate the healthiness of an eco system. This can include particularly picky plants who might change colour based on soil composition or disappear all together if conditions are not right. Important and wide-spread species such as the firefly used to be found on almost every continent, but due to light and chemical pollution, habitat destruction, being over harvested for festivals, science and medicine, as well as trampling from tourists, they've disappeared from places that were once famous for their presence.
This section will be updated with other species as we create resource pages about them, and with concrete ways that you or anyone can help them.
Click the Fireflies button to learn more about this fascinating group of insects, and what you can do to help them bounce back from the brink.
Keystone Species
Keystone Species
Keystone species are those that help shape an environment in a way that many other species even the landscape itself can flourish. The might be hunters, food for other species, offer shelter or nesting materials, and often serve a myriad of functions to a variety of species.
This section will be updated with other species as we create resource pages about them, and with concrete ways that you or anyone can help them.
Click the Beaver button to learn more about how supporting, protecting, and (where they have been driven to extinction) reintroducing these keystone species can help prevent flooding, improve water quality, grow new forests, recharge ground water, and help boost biodiversity.
Water & Energy
Water & Energy
Humans have been using water for power for over 2,000 years dating back to the Greeks who used it to mill grains and Egyptians who irrigated with the screw wheel, more recently we started damming to produce hydroelectricity. More recent advances are harvesting tidal and wave energy, plus offshore wind offers an options which may have an even gentler ecological impact.
The problem with dams is that they flood massive areas, creating deep, lightless lakes where species who evolved in shallow, fast moving water are not equipped to live in. Dams also cut of access to ancient spawning grounds which is driving important species such as salmon and eel closer to extinction.
To learn more about the ways we can use water to harness energy click the Energy button or a some of our subtopics.
Water Pumping
Water Pumping
The pumping of water takes a larger amount than many people realize. Pumping ground water for agricultural, industry, or public use, moving it between facilities, etc. all require energy since water is a fairly heavy substance.
STEEP "is a free Excel-based reference guide that can be used to make system assessments and identify potential areas for energy use savings in existing or planned water supply and wastewater facility projects."
Tools & Apps
Tools & Apps
Water Pumping
Water Pumping
The pumping of water takes a larger amount than many people realize. Pumping ground water for agricultural, industry, or public use, moving it between facilities, etc. all require energy since water is a fairly heavy substance.
STEEP "is a free Excel-based reference guide that can be used to make system assessments and identify potential areas for energy use savings in existing or planned water supply and wastewater facility projects."
Organizations
Organizations
International
International
International Hydropower Association "is a non-profit membership organisation and the global voice for sustainable hydropower.
As an association, we believe that all new hydropower projects should be developed and operated responsibly and sustainably."
Water Keeper Alliance "We’re the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. We preserve and protect water by connecting local Waterkeeper groups worldwide."
Water Rangers "We’re focused on building tools that help you collect water quality data. But it’s more than that. It’s about building a movement. Below we’ve outlined how to get started.
Already testing? Go through our ‘start of the season checklist‘ to start your season strong!"
Africa
Africa
FreshWater Watch Africa began with an innovative community monitoring project in Sierra Leone, Rokel River Basin.
Using our FreshWater Watch toolkit, communities learn to take water samples from their local freshwater body and measure nitrates, phosphates and turbidity. This can reveal levels of nutrient pollution and help map out the environmental threats affecting a region.
We work in close collaboration with local partners and the United Nations. The data gathered by our citizen scientists is used by local authorities to fill data gaps on water quality and improve river basin management. It also makes a difference on an international scale by harnessing the power of citizen science for the UN’s Sustainability Goals, promoting access to safe water and sanitation for all."
Asia
Asia
India
India
Maharashtra
Paani Foundation "we believe in the transformative power of collective action. We are convinced that only a broad-based people’s movement that brings the village community together, can face this crisis. Our mission is to create a drought-free and prosperous Maharashtra, by fostering social unity and providing scale to proven solutions and technologies."
Iraq
Iraq
Nature Iraq's Eden In Iraq Project "is a humanitarian water remediation project, expressed through environmental art and wastewater garden design, which will provide urgently-needed health and clean water for southern Iraqis, their children, and future generations."
Europe
Europe
Dam Removal Europe "The overall ambition of Dam Removal Europe is to restore rivers in Europe that have high natural or cultural importance. Currently, there are many of these rivers in Europe that are fragmented by obsolete dams and weirs. By removing these barriers, we can once again have healthy free-flowing rivers full of fishes for all to benefit."
UK
UK
FreshWater Watch in the UK "Working together with local communities and partners, we have created a growing network of concerned local citizens who care about the health of their precious freshwater resources: FreshWater Watch. This involves training community groups across the UK to use our FreshWater Watch toolkit to detect nutrient pollution and fight for real change."
Surfers Against Sewage "For over 30 years, we’ve cultivated and delivered environmental campaigns with a unique voice in the charity sector, blending activism, science, culture, sport, politics and authenticity. The heritage of our organisation is anchored in the ocean. Yet our reach and influence now permeate communities and institutions nationwide."
North America
North America
Canada
Canada
Water Rangers "We’re focused on building tools that help you collect water quality data. But it’s more than that. It’s about building a movement. Below we’ve outlined how to get started.
Already testing? Go through our ‘start of the season checklist‘ to start your season strong!"
USA
USA
Choose Clean Water Coalition "has harnessed the collective power of more than 300 organizations to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake Bay region. By coordinating policy, messaging, action, and accountability, the Coalition speaks louder with one voice toward our collective goal—clean water."
Grey Water Action "is a collaborative of educators who teach residents and tradespeople about affordable and simple household water systems that dramatically reduce water use and foster sustainable cultures of water."
Navajo Water Project "1 in 3 Navajo still don’t have a sink or a toilet. So we bring clean, hot and cold running water to families across New Mexico, Utah and Arizona."
Riverkeepers work to keep the Red River healthy, coordinating efforts in multiple states.
Western Rivers Alliance "Nearly three decades ago, Western Rivers Conservancy set out to protect the finest remaining rivers in the West. Our idea was simple: Buy land along rivers and convey it to the best long-term steward available, delivering permanent protection and public access for all."
California
Civic Well "supports leaders responding to the climate crisis and its impact on their communities. As a nonprofit organization, we inspire, equip, connect, and cultivate leaders working toward a more sustainable and resilient future.
We know that innovation happens when communities name their own challenges and define their own visions. Through policy guidance, collaborative partnerships, and direct assistance, we support and equip communities to bring those visions to life."
Florida
Matanzas Riverkeeper "is a grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that the Guana, Tolomato, Matanzas watershed remain clean and healthy through our commitment to drinkable, fishable, and swimmable water.
The mission of the Matanzas Riverkeeper is to protect the health of the Matanzas River and its watershed through advocacy, education, and engagement."
Georgia
Altamaha Riverkeeper "is a grassroots organization dedicated to the protection, defense and restoration of Georgia’s biggest river – the Altamaha – including its tributaries the Ocmulgee, the Oconee and the Ohoopee."
Satilla Riverkeeper "The mission of the Satilla Riverkeeper is to PROTECT, RESTORE, and EDUCATE about the ecological values and unique beauty of the Satilla River. We work to ensure excellent quality and quantity of water in the Satilla River for all uses. We are the eyes and ears of the watershed and estuary."
St Marys Riverkeeper "We protect and enrich the St. Marys River watershed and engage the community to keep our river pristine."
Maine
Penobscot Riverkeepers "Each year the Penobscot River and Bay Institute (PRBI) offers on-the-river experiences for school children throughout the Penobscot River watershed as part of its Penobscot Riverkeepers program.
Founded in 1992 to promote experiential environmental education, PRBI’s mission is to foster good stewardship of natural resources through hands-on learning. PRBI serves towns and schools in the Penobscot River watershed and coastal communities surrounding the bay. The Penobscot Riverkeepers program has been successfully used in Bangor, Millinocket, Lincoln, and Bucksport."Schoodic Riverkeepers "Tribal members united in vision and mission dedicated to strengthen tribal cultural, sustenance and ancestral roots within our tribal Homeland and to join with allies to bring attention to the state of the environment to help bring real and positive change for restoring the natural balance, abundance and biodiversity within the Schoodic River watershed, Passamaquoddy Bay, Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine ecosystems."
New Jersey
The Watershed Institute offers professional guides, activism networks, and educational opportunities for teachers, and students.
New York
North Carolina
Yadkin Riverkeeper "is a nonprofit, membership organization whose mission is to protect and enhance the Yadkin Pee Dee River basin through education, advocacy and action."
Oregon
Tualatin Riverkeepers "is a community-based organization that protects and restores the Tualatin River watershed. We build watershed stewardship through engagement, advocacy, restoration, access, and education."
Pennsylvania
Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper works to "ensure drinkable, fishable, swimmable water on the Lower Susquehanna River and raise community awareness for current and future generations on the ecological and economic value of the Lower Susquehanna Watershed."
Middle Susquehanna RIVERKEEPER® "is dedicated to protecting, improving, and preserving the health of the Middle Susquehanna River Watershed, an approximate 11,000-square-mile area defined by the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna River, its tributaries, and drainage area. Residents of and visitors to the Middle Susquehanna River Watershed expect and deserve clean (swimmable, drinkable, and fishable) water."
South Carolina
Congaree Riverkeeper "The river watchdog of the South Carolina Midlands, looking out for the Broad, Lower Saluda, and Congaree Rivers."
Winyah Rivers Alliance wants "to protect, preserve, monitor and revitalize the health of the lands and waters of the greater Winyah Bay watershed."
Texas
Colonias Water Project "More than 500,000 people live along the Texas-Mexico border in colonias—neighborhoods without basic services like running water, sewer, electricity, or roads.
Families drive for miles to haul water or buy it at the store. They carefully ration water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. But despite their struggle for water, these families still go to work, take their children to school, and lead their communities.
Running water changes everything. DigDeep is on a mission to get the water flowing in colonias across Texas."
Guadalupe Riverkeeper "A non-profit organization at the Headwaters of the Guadalupe River – Kerr County, Texas working towards sustainability of our Guadalupe River and Edwards Aquifer."
West Virginia
Appalachia Water Project "A hundred years ago, McDowell County, WV was one of the wealthiest communities in the nation. Today, many folks here don’t have access to clean, running water.
The reasons are complicated: 100-year-old water pipes failing, contamination from local mines, the collapse of the local economy. Water access is a critical first step toward protecting the health of our neighbors and putting them back on a road to prosperity.
DigDeep is bringing clean, running water to hundreds of families right now—some for the first time ever—and we’re doing it from within the local community. Residents guide our efforts; our local staff serve their neighbors; and we work in partnership with local government and water utilities, with capacity-building in mind. Join us."
Oceana
Oceana
Australia
Australia
The Mulloon Institute "Our property and catchment scale rehydration and restoration research, which has been recognised globally, is used by farmers across Australia to create resilient, productive and profitable farms where agriculture and the environment are working in unison."
Maps
Maps
International
International
Pumped Storage Tracking Tool "IHA's Hydropower Pumped Storage Tracking Tool maps the locations and vital statistics for existing and planned pumped storage projects. It is the most comprehensive and up-to-date online resource on the world's water batteries.
The tool shows the status of a pumped storage project, it's installed generating and pumping capacity, and its actual or planned date of commissioning."
North America
North America
USA
USA
Water Scarcity and Fish Imperilment Driven by Beef Production (Paper with maps)
Who Are The Top Toxic Water Polluters in Your State? Interactive map. Scroll down for the full list, and click the arrow under the list to find your state. Some of the worst polluters are livestock related, including meat-processing plants.
Oceana
Oceana
Australia
Australia
Tasmania
Hydro: WaterMap interactive map shows lake levels, rainfall, waterway flows, and more.
Grants & Funding
Grants & Funding
Asia
Asia
Livable Cities: Financing Partnership Facility "The urban operations of ADB benefits from the support of notable trust funds, which are collectively referred to as the Urban Financing Partnership Facility. Under this umbrella, strategic, long-term, multi-partner investments on innovative urban solutions are implemented. These investments help to achieve the vision of livable cities." These include:
Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF) eligible countries include Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, and Vietnam.
North America
North America
USA
USA
Coalition for Green Capital: Clean Water Infrastructure "Quantified Ventures and Coalition for Green Capital will select six (6) existing green banks to receive grant funding (~$50,000/grantee) and technical assistance to build a pipeline of clean and equitable water infrastructure projects that will directly benefit disadvantaged communities.
There are two key outcomes associated with this effort:
Build a pipeline of financeable water projects for each cohort green bank.
Design the structure of the financing programs that the green banks can use to finance clean water projects in the future."
Minnesota
Capital Project Grants "are designed to support final engineering and construction of large-scale, innovative projects that protect or improve water quality and habitat within the MWMO watershed. The MWMO provides both technical and financial assistance to eligible projects. (Smaller-scale projects may be eligible for a Stewardship Fund Grant.)"
Oceana
Oceana
Australia
Australia
Western Australia
The Sustainability Grants Program (in the City of Cockburn) "offers funding for projects related to six sustainability themes. Open to small businesses, schools, not-for-profits, and collective households, successful applicants can receive up to $4,000 for their project."
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