- 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, roughly one-sixth of the world's population.
- 2.2 million people in developing countries, most of them children, die every year from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
- Half of the world's hospital beds are filled with people suffering from water related illnesses.
- In the past 10 years, diarrhea has killed more children than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II.
- An estimated 25% of people from cities in developing countries purchase their water from vendors at a significantly higher price than piped water. In some cases, at the cost of more than a quarter of their household incomes.
These figures were provided by Blue Planet Run, a foundation that works in collaboration with community and government groups to fund water projects around the world. Together, they are striving to provide safe drinking water to 200 million people by 2027.Lots of regular folks are joining the movement for safe drinking water. Some people donate cash, others join the Facebook Group and spread the message, and still others tie up their sneakers and go for a run. Athletes around the world are running, swimming, climbing, hooping, tackling, skating, cycling, and sporting to raise money for clean drinking water access in the developing world. The YouthNoise DROP campaign and Play City are proud to be a part of this movement :)
Below: Athlete-activists run through China for water's sake.
And here's the best part: there are no limitations to running, walking, cycling, or otherwise athleticizing (yes, I just made up a word) for clean water. There is no minimum fundraising requirement, and anyone—even you—can set up a community sporting to benefit Blue Planet Run.
Click here for more info on marathons and Blue Planet Run events. Also be sure to visit the YouthNoise DROP campaign to learn about solutions to our global water crisis.
