Water is so vital, yet only 3% of Earth's water is fresh and almost all of this is now frozen
It is so simple to save water and so very important too. Tourism Concern describe the crisis of water scarcity which is affecting nearly 3 billion people. The shocking statistic taken from UN Water is that by 2025, this figure could rise to 7 billion, due to water demand tripling in the last 50 years alongside climate change and population growth accompanied by inevitably increased demand from the agricultural sector. Tourism is similarly on the increase – therefore it is so important that tourists and travellers are responsible with their water use, particularly in the many countries where such a necessity is becoming so scarce.
Recycle your water bottles and save plastic, like these children in Tanzania using them as goal posts!
Top 5 water-saving tips
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or lathering soap in your hands – a running tap loses 6 litres of water a minute
- Use antibacterial hand gel instead of water to save water and stay sanitized!
- Ask locals about their water situation and where they source it from to avoid putting a strain on community supplies
- Don’t waste water by waiting for it to run cold – fill bottles up straight from the tap and use a fridge to cool it down
- Wash clothes by hand or, if you have the option to visit a laundrette, be sure to use a full load of washing or select half-load if there is an option
If everyone adopted these simple tips when travelling the world or just in their daily lives, we could save huge amounts of water! Check out Oyster’s full environmental policy on our responsible travel webpage for more information about our ethical approach to all our projects.
