Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE

To the people of the world,

As we move into the 21 st Century, it is clear that the lack of fresh, clean water is going to give rise to escalating hardship. In many parts of the world there are already millions of people without easy access to clean, non-polluted fresh water. Everywhere water tables are dropping, aquifers and the rivers they feed are drying up and desertification is spreading. As tree cover is reduced, rain washes precious topsoil into streams and rivers, resulting in changes in ecosystems that are often damaging to existing aquatic life. In many places, dams have led to diminishing volumes of supply downstream - and in some cases cause streams to dry up altogether - with disastrous consequences for people, animals and the environment.

Yet all around the globe we are wasting our precious water. Irresponsible irrigation methods lead to an unacceptable loss of water through evaporation as well as lowering levels in streams and rivers. Affluent societies everywhere waste millions of gallons of water for their lawns and golf courses. Millions more gallons are used to flush human waste down the toilet.


Photographs by William E. Marks

At the same time, pollutants from industry, small businesses, agriculture, household waste, golf courses and so on are washed into streams, rivers and lakes and contaminate ground water. Bacteria from human and animal waste continue to poison water supplies and spread disease. Pollutants in rivers and streams ultimately end up in the ocean where at times the pollution reaches levels that make some varieties of sea food unsafe to eat and has a devastating effect on marine life.

It is desperately important  that our world leaders heed these warnings before it is too late. Already rival claims to rights over diminishing water resources have given rise to conflict and unrest, and the spreading desert has displaced countless people living in marginal environments. Water  issues deserve a place at the top of the international agenda, along with global climate change, poverty alleviation and human population growth. International guidelines regulating the use of water in industry, agriculture and households should be established through the United Nations, and all member states urged to implement them in their own countries.

But it will take more than political guidelines to restore and purify the world’s water supplies - it will take the commitment to action of informed citizens everywhere.

No matter how small the act may seem, every little bit helps - such as turning off the tap whilst cleaning one’s teeth, preventing hotels from washing towels and bed linens on multiple night stays, not taking more water than needed in restaurants, reducing the amount of water used while bathing, showering and washing clothes and dishes. Water saving faucet adaptors are available and make saving water not only easy but also economical. Compost latrines are smell-free and should be incorporated into new homes.

Informed children around the  world are finding creative solutions to the critical challenges facing us. The Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots global program for young people is an example. Roots & Shoots students around the world are working tirelessly to clean local streams, protest developments harmful to water supplies, sample waterways for pollutants and so on. And they are committing themselves every day to conserving water through small changes in their own daily habits.

There are over 8,500 Roots & Shoots groups in more than 90 countries, and more joining us every week, all working to make this a better world for people, animals and the environment - including the celebration and preservation of water.

It is time that we all, including the world’s leaders, follow the example our youth is setting.      
It is time for us all to take action within our homes, communities, and local governments.
It is time for us to work together to restore a safe and sustainable supply of water for all life forms on our planet.

The time is now.

Together, we can make a difference.