Global Water Scarcity: How Communities Are Overcoming Water Challenges

Everyone deserves access to clean water, yet for millions around the world, safe drinking water and proper sanitation remain out of reach. From collapsed infrastructure and poor management to conflict and climate change, several factors contribute to families being unable to access their right to safe water.

Rising global temperatures and extreme weather events are making clean water scarcer and more polluted. Droughts and wildfires are displacing entire communities, while unpredictable rainfall is disrupting agriculture, leaving families with less food to eat and sell.

Why is water, sanitation and hygiene important?

With access to safe water and sanitation, families can protect themselves from disease, grow crops, raise livestock and build sustainable livelihoods. Communities gain access to clean drinking water and safe, dignified restroom facilities. Children, especially girls, no longer have to walk for hours to collect water—time that can instead be spent in school, learning and playing. On average, girls around the world spend an estimated 250 million hours per day carrying water, often walking more than three miles daily.

Despite how essential water is for building healthy lives, billions still lack access to clean water and sanitation. Today, approximately 3.4 billion people—41% of the world’s population—do not have adequate sanitation services, while 2.1 billion still live without safely managed drinking water.

What is CWS doing to support access to clean water and proper sanitation?

CWS partners with communities around the world to ensure families have access to safe, clean water. From drought-prone regions in Paraguay to flood-threatened villages in Cambodia, we work alongside local organizations to build sustainable water solutions that help communities adapt to climate change. In Honduras, modernized irrigation systems are helping farmers secure their food supply, while in Kenya, community-led innovations like sand dams and boreholes are making water more accessible and sustainable.

Whether through infrastructure improvements, climate adaptation projects or hygiene education, CWS is committed to empowering families with the resources they need to thrive—because access to clean water isn’t just a necessity; it’s the foundation of a healthier, more resilient future.

Read below to learn more about this work across CWS programs.

In Paraguay’s Bajo Chaco region, Indigenous communities are strengthening leadership, securing access to safe water and building sustainable livelihoods. Since water comes from shared tajamares (small community rainwater ponds), simple purification practices are vital. In the last year, more than 300 people—mostly women—participated in 70 workshops on topics like water purification and climate change adaptation. Now, at least 150 households boil or treat their water, and 16 community water structures have been built or improved.
In Cambodia, climate change is threatening access to water and food security. CWS is addressing these risks by helping communities build resilient water infrastructure, such as community wells that serve families who previously struggled with seasonal water shortages. Wells are constructed with protective features to ensure the water remains cleaner and safer than seasonal ponds or shallow, unprotected sources. Families received guidance on hygienic handling and basic maintenance so they can keep the water safe over time. Now, women and children now spend far less time fetching water, freeing up hours for school, income-generating work and caregiving, and families no longer need to rely on unsafe surface water, reducing the risk of illness and improving overall health.
In Kenya, CWS and local partners collaborate closely with communities to discover inventive, cost-effective and environmentally friendly enhancements for water systems. These enhancements include sand dams, boreholes, weirs and rock catchments. Participating communities contribute their skills and locally sourced materials, which in turn promotes local ownership, enhances sustainability and lowers expenses. CWS works with communities to teach the importance of latrines, safe water handling and handwashing—crucial steps in reducing illness. When clean water is paired with safe sanitation, the health of an entire village shifts.
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, CWS has supported local rainwater harvesting projects—including infrastructure, education and advocacy—in Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina. We have witnessed firsthand that rainwater harvesting in semi-arid, dispersed rural areas brings dignity, rootedness, hope, peace and social cohesion to families and communities, especially during periods of drought or water stress. In the most isolated “last mile” communities, harvesting and using rainwater is critical for households, family-based agriculture, schools and health centers.
In Uganda, CWS is leading a transformative Water, Sanitation and Hygiene initiative in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, improving daily life for nearly 190,000 refugees through clean water access, safe sanitation and community education. From the installation of 1,360 foot-operated tippy tap systems to delivering four 10,000-liter water tanks, communities are able to access reliable clean water and promote safe hygiene practices across the settlement. Recognizing the importance of menstrual health, CWS is also distributing 2,500 reusable menstrual hygiene kits and providing training to help women and girls manage their health safely and confidently.

How You Can Help

To learn more about the work CWS is doing to combat climate change and build resilient communities, click here. To support the work of CWS, make a gift here.