“Rivers are the veins and arteries of our planet. What happens if these arteries were to die?”
– Mark Angelo
Clean water is both essential to the planet’s ecosystems and fundamental to people’s well-being. It is a basic human right. As well as providing a range of critical habitats for wildlife, waterways such as rivers and lakes supply communities with vital resources, including drinking water, water for crop irrigation and foods such as fish and shellfish. These waterways also serve as a support system for industrial activity, providing water for many manufacturing and cooling processes. However, such industrial activities can affect water quality and thereby jeopardize the other resources that the rivers and lakes provide. A recent survey of 15,000 people in 15 countries, across both northern and southern hemispheres, found that water scarcity and water pollution are the two top environmental concerns of the world’s population.
“If we destroy our rivers, we destroy ourselves – it’s as simple as that. You don’t have to be an aboriginal to care about what nature has given us.”
– Uncle Moogie