I live by the River. It’s the Rhine River, one of Europes longest and most
vital navigable waterways. Thanks to the Rhine River, people
in our region always have enough water, the climate is very moderate. The Rhine makes larger cities and smaller towns even more beautiful. With such a large river, people “automatically” benefit having enough
water and fertile grounds to grow their foods. No wonder the Rhine river, like any major river, has had a huge impact on the historical development of people living nearby.

With such an treasure in the neighborhood, we should realize that we are extremely lucky. About 1 billion people do not have access to fresh and clean drinking water. They never get to eat and drink foods and beverages in a
quality taken for granted in Germany. One out of every five deaths
under the age of five worldwide is due to a water-related disease. Nearly 80
per cent of illness in developing countries is linked to poor water and
sanitation conditions. Moreover, Water scarcity is interlinked with hunger and
starvation. By 2050, the situation will even get worse: Because the world
population will rise to over 9 billion people by the
middle of the century, agriculture will take even more water. If we don’t act
now, even more people will suffer and die from water scarcity, hunger and
starvation.

In developed countries like Germany,
the latest water technology needs to be developed and implemented. We can install
environmental friendly technology in our houses, industries and cities. The
waste of water in all our products and services has to be stopped. Moreover, we have to stop the “virtual” import of water from
developing countries from where we import goods. If we go green, we still have the best
of living conditions and limit our own consumption of water. Most importantly, we
need to help people suffering the most from drought and from the exploitation
of nature. We have to make clean, fresh and safe water accessible to all people
worldwide. Hence, we will collect money such they will have their own water.

So, I will devote march 2012 to my water project. I will only drink water from the water tap. I will
post about my water project online. And on Sunday, April 1st, I will
walk from my home to Düsseldorf, down to the Rhine River (16,5 km)
to raise money for the cause.