Water and Sanitation: Faith Roles in Responding to Global Challenges

Friday, March 18, 2011
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Berkley Center Third Floor Conference Room Map

Almost 1 billion people worldwide live without access to safe drinking water, and over 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation facilities. The impact on public health, education, gender equality, and economic growth is profound. While water is a basic need, and there is near universal agreement on the need for action to redress the imbalances, solutions to the growing water crisis are far from simple. Water is an issue with resonance for many faith communities and is central to symbolic rituals and ethical meanings in various traditions. This meeting explored the faith dimensions of addressing global water needs with the aim of better understanding the actions and experiences of religious institutions and leaders in the water sector.

This event was cosponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the World Faiths Development Dialogue, with generous support from the Henry R. Luce Foundation.

Discover similar content through these related topics and regions.

Related Religion and Development

Image Gallery

1/1

Water and Sanitation: Faith Roles in Responding to Global Challenges

Related Publications

Report March 1, 2012

Water and Faith: Rights, Pragmatic Demands, and an Ethical Lens

Prepared jointly by the Berkley Center and WFDD, this report reviews the roles that faith-inspired leaders, communities, and organizations play in worldwide efforts to assure universal access to clean water and sanitation. It aims to inform policymakers and practitioners about the "state of play" and suggest areas where action is both desirable and feasible.

Report June 15, 2011

"Water and Sanitation: Faith Roles in Responding to Global Challenges" Meeting Report

This draft summarizes a March 2011 meeting where participants explored faith dimensions of water, sanitation, and hygiene in an opportunity for a free-flowing exchange of views and ideas on the global WASH agenda and on what approaches promise the greatest impact.