People Stories

‘Water is sacred’: 10 visual artists reflect on the human right to water

“Tomorrow’s world” Photograph: Serge Attukwei Clottey/WaterAid

Ten photographs marking the 10th anniversary of access to water and sanitation being declared a human right by the UN have been commissioned from 10 visual artists by the charity WaterAid to show the impact of clean water on people’s lives.

Globally, 785 million people – one in 10 – still lack access to water close to home and 2 billion people – one in four – don’t have a toilet of their own.

A Lopsided Tale by Joseph Obanubi (Nigeria)

For many communities, water sources are usually far from their homes, and it falls to women and girls to spend much of their time and energy fetching water, a task that can expose them to attack from men or wild animals.

Without sanitation people have no choice but to use communal latrines or find a place to go to the toilet outside, often having to wait until the cover of darkness. This leaves food and water resources open to infections and helps spread disease.

This work references Nigerian-Yoruba sculptures and the healing qualities of water as a basic element of life. Yoruba believe water to be a symbol of force and strength. É o Fim do […]

Water Warriors and Other People Stories

Summary
Article Name
'Water is sacred': 10 visual artists reflect on the human right to water
Description
Photographs marking the 10th anniversary of access to water and sanitation being declared a human right are commissioned by charity WaterAid.
Publisher Name
The Guardian
Publisher Logo

Recent Posts

How will water sector be impacted as EPA targets PFAS?

In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released two much-anticipated final rules pertaining to certain contaminants within…

2 days ago

Lethal cyanobacteria are creeping into rivers—no one knows exactly why

Researcher Hannah Bonner conducts a visual monitoring survey of benthic cyanobacteria in North Creek, a…

4 days ago

Meet the underwater gardeners that scrub Imperial County’s water canals

Photo: IID Operations Coordinator Pablo Cortez, left, holds an adult grass carp while Tony Perez,…

5 days ago

Colorado to shield thousands of acres of wetlands, miles of streams after U.S. Supreme Court left them vulnerable

The Blanca Wildlife Habitat Area, located in the San Luis Valley, is about 15 square…

5 days ago

In Millions of Homes, High Fluoride in Tap Water May Be a Concern

Top: Water tower in Comfort, Texas. Visual: Marcus Wennrich/ iStock/Getty Images Plus In communities across…

1 week ago

Delta College’s Aqua Ducks are big winners at H2O Hackathon

A San Joaquin Delta College student squad called the Aqua Ducks emerged top prize winner…

1 week ago