Interactive > Choices

Most of us don't have to think about where our next glass of clean water is coming from — we just turn on the tap. But in the developing world, 1.1 billion human beings lack access to safe, clean water and face unimaginable choices every day.

Try our interactive simulation to get a sense of the hard choices faced by many in the developing world. Or scroll down to read more.

People around the world face this crisis every day. For women like Amelia Lopez and Angeline Allan, many times the choice is between giving their families dirty, disease-ridden water or going thirsty.

According to the World Health Organization each individual needs at least 20 liters (5.2 gallons) of water per day to meet basic needs. That's over 40 pounds of water per person. Imagine if you had to walk six kilometers (3.7 miles) to reach a pump and then turn around and carry 40 pounds or more back with you — every day, several times a day — to ensure you had enough water to live.

Imagine if you had no ready access to a clean toilet. People in the Kibera Slums in Kenya dispose of their waste by putting it in plastic bags and throwing it into the street — what they call a "flying toilet".

Where there are no toilets at all, some women wait until dark to avoid being seen out in the open, endangering their health everyday.

Are these real choices? What would you choose? GWC wants to give people a better choice.

In the 21st century, with cell phone towers sprouting up in rural villages, people are still struggling to maintain their dignity and privacy when using the bathroom and to keep their children alive and healthy by providing access to clean water.

Global Water Challenge believes that when people get access to basic services or have the ability to be heard by their local government official, they can help themselves. We believe that we have the will and the resources to make sure that everyone has universal access to clean drinking water and safe sanitation.