Globally, two billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. How can we develop simple, low-cost solutions to improve access to safe drinking water globally in communities where it is currently unavailable?
Clean water access is among the most urgent challenges of our time. This critical gap contributes to an estimated 1.4 million preventable deaths annually. The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages making small, steady improvements instead of instant solutions. Steady improvements towards clean safe drinking water have proven easier for Member States to achieve. However, 55% of countries are still not on track to achieve their drinking-water goals. In its 2023 Annual Report (published in February 2025), the WHO explained that being flexible amidst rising challenges is very important when trying to improve access to drinking water. For example, the increasing impacts of climate change, pandemics, and global conflicts have created more obstacles to improving access to clean water.
This year’s GII challenge asks students to investigate the root causes and impacts of limited clean water access and to design simple, low-cost solutions to improve access to safe drinking water globally in communities where it is currently unavailable. Students will examine the complexities of this global issue and propose strategies to strengthen water access.
