A new refugee aid project in Rwanda reminds us of the helplessness of those fleeing the almost silent wars and conflicts that continue to sow destruction and death. Most of them barely get by in camps with inadequate food, water, sanitation, and hygiene, but the worst thing for their lives and dignity is that their tragedy falls into oblivion.

There is so much you can do. In the face of new denialism that devalues individual actions and fosters the idea that the solutions proposed to stop global warming are useless, the mobilization encouraged by water scarcity shows that every effort has the power to make effective changes. The drops of water you save do count.

A new project on the island of Borneo reveals the precarious situation of people living in the most neglected rural areas of the island, where the availability of water does not guarantee access for most of the population. The loss of biodiversity makes access to water difficult for those who live there. This is another serious problem for what is still one of the great biosphere reserves.  

Success stories in the fight for access to basic sanitation are a source of lessons to attain the SDG 6. The webinar “Valuing toilets beyond visible” showcased three experiences that provide valuable knowledge on the complex relationship between defecation and sanitation: the fight against open defecation, the use of feces and the healthiness of slums.

Uncontrolled urban growth destroys water around it, creating a serious supply problem. Many cities around the world need to search for water further and further away. In the short film Los Conductores del Agua - The Drivers of Water, a micro-documentary finalist at the We Art Water Film Festival 5, the so-called “piperos”, the water carriers, bear witness to this problem in the Mexican city of Morelia.

On World Toilet Day, the UN calls for valuing this simple facility that is critical to attaining SDG 6 and enabling millions of people to move towards the eradication of poverty, the achievement of health, gender equality and dignity. The sanitation investment gap continues to divide rich and poor. If we do not close it, SDG 6 will remain a long way off.

Attaining the SDGs implicates all players involved in human progress, especially architecture, design, technology and tourism. Smart (Collective) Creativity, the new forum for dialogue of the Smart Water platform, has been created to promote creative participation in these key sectors for our immediate future through water. Each one of us counts to take on the urban and industrial challenge we are facing.

In the last decade, science has discovered that we are probably on the verge of surpassing several “climate tipping points”. It is essential to understand what these are in order to know where to focus mitigation strategies and efforts. They will influence the decisions made at the COP26 in Glasgow, where the success or failure of action against the climate crisis is at stake. We must not fail.