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→ INTRODUCTION

Welcome to DOWNSTREAM. From the women who spend hours daily fetching water to political battles over international rivers to melting icepack and rising sea levels, the water issue affects us all, and we all contribute to it. We are all downstream.

Worldwide, 884 million people lack reliable access to safe water that is free from disease and industrial waste. And 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities. The result is the world's greatest public health crisis: More people die every day from waterborne diseases than from HIV-AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

A robust economy depends on water. So does a thriving ecosystem. Enter politics, fulcrum of the water issue, balancing the fate of economies against the health of individuals and of the environment as a whole.

The water issue is extraordinarily complex. In DOWNSTREAM, we approach it in four parts: Health, Economics, Conflict|Cooperation, and Climate. In each gateway, you will find reporting from regions around the world by Pulitzer Center-sponsored journalists.

As you learn about the water issue, consider how you affect those downstream and how those upstream affect you. We hope you'll join the conversation – through comments and questions and by uploading your own perspective on the “Your Stories” feature. Pulitzer Center journalists are in the field now covering the water issue as it unfolds, so check back often for new reports!

→ Welcome from William Wheeler

Water: Conflict & Cooperation Essential to life and industry, water prompts intense competition.
Water & Economics Industry and agriculture use more freshwater each year than flows at any given time in all the rivers of the world.
Water & Health More people die annually from waterborne disease than from HIV-AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.
Water & Climate Global warming means dramatic change in where water is found and how much is available.