It's World Water Day today and Thames 21 were up and about this morning deep-cleaning the river by Putney Bridge and Barnes Bridge to take advantage of low tides. Across the globe, people participated in the World Walks for Water in solidarity with the millions of people who have to walk 6km everyday just to collect water for their basic needs.
Locally, Wateraid supporters walked Westminster to encourage the government to raise their ambitions on tackling the water and sanitation crisis. To help, a new report from OECD is out highlighting the benefits of investing in water and sanitation services. The Guardian digs into it referencing London's Great Stink of 1852. You know, the one that resulted in the construction of our sewer system and embankments and bringing massive public health improvements as well as huge relief to MPs trying to take the air on the river terrace.
Looking into World Water Day led us to the Walk for Water website, which is encouraging people to plan sponsored walks for special Walk for Water weeks in June and September of this year to raise money for charities working to bring clean water and sanitation to third world countries.
It's very simple. Pick somewhere that starts with the letter H, and somewhere with the letter O. Then walk from one to the other. H-2-O. Geddit?
Now we know you're creative. You can do better than Holborn to Oxford Circus, right? Suggest your own H2O routes in the comments and we'll undertake the best, most Londony, and wilfully obscure one for June's Walk for Water week. That's a promise.
There's still time to get virtually involved with World Water Day. Wateraid tells you how.
