We are in need of a celebration: World Water Day is today!
This year, the United Nations has deemed the focus for World Water Day to be “Better Water, Better Jobs.” The connection between clean water and economic development is a huge part of our mission here at Solea Water – our approach is community-empowerment oriented sustainable water solutions which engages everyone, both us and the people we work to help.
For our work in Panama, Solea Water received a grant for the Entrepreneurship Project, meaning we work to provide both clean water and economic opportunities to indigenous communities. We do this through the formation of water committees and the election of individuals in each community to oversee the water system. This ensures that when we leave, the project will continue to function, and that the community will be able to fix the water system for themselves if a problem ever does arise. It also empowers the community to take ownership of the project, provides an avenue for maintenance, and creates jobs in rural communities that have very limited economic opportunities.
Water and Economic Development Facts:
Approximately 450 million days of school are lost to water related illness.
Women often walk upwards of 4 miles every day to collect water that isn’t always clean.
For every dollar invested in clean water, there is a projected $4 economic return.
1.5 billion people work in water-related sectors.
Responsibility for collecting clean water almost always falls on women and girls, who then cannot hold jobs or go to school.
$24 billion is lost in economic opportunity due to missing work for collection of clean water.
38 workers die every hour from water-related diseases.
Approximately 663 million people lack access to clean water.
Better water means better jobs for more people.
Want to learn more? Check out the United Nation’s website for World Water Day for more about how important water is for economic growth!
