-Thoughtsof the author Inga May-

I stand under the shower and watch the foam disappear into the sink. It's nice and white. Sure, I wasn't covered in dirt. I smell the fresh scent of the soap and let the pleasantly warm water splash a little more on my back. I close my eyes to experience the sensation even more intensely.

The images from last night's report come back to me: children bathing among the garbage and filth, women laboriously dragging supposedly clean water for miles to their huts. Huts in which there are neither toilets nor other sanitary facilities.

Almost 4000 liters of water are consumed per Tag person in Germany, they reported on television. The global average is far lower. Yet global water consumption increased around sixfold between 1930 and 2000! In many regions of the world, a family of four sometimes has less than 40 liters per Tag available. "40 liters," I think, "with 10 minutes in the shower, I've already used more than double that!" I remember what I said last night: "Who uses that much water?" I asked my husband indignantly. Now I stand here and realize: ME!

I quickly turn off the water and leave the shower, almost ashamed. Why am I allowed to leave the water running for so long for no reason at all? I would love to crawl into the sink and get the water back...

According to the FAO, in ten out of 178 countries, annual fresh water withdrawals are higher than the renewing water resources. According to the UN Water Report, 2.1 billion people worldwide have no access to drinking water. And those who have little water at their disposal initially cut back on hygiene. This affects the weakest members of society first and foremost: children. It is estimated that a child dies every 15 seconds from a disease caused by unclean water. According to UN figures, 443 million school days are lost every year due to illnesses caused by a lack of water.

The need to have access to clean water is of course well known and "clean water and sanitation" has therefore been defined as the 6th goal of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. The following sub-goals are mentioned, among others:

• All people should have access to safe and affordable drinking water.
• All people should have access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene.
• Water quality is to be improved worldwide through recycling and safe reuse.

Suddenly I am extremely happy to know that there are people and organizations that are already addressing the issue of water scarcity and hygiene with more understanding than I have so far. One of the projects I find on the internet is Artemed Stiftung, which is supporting the construction of a new water tank in Tanzania and providing further training in hygiene. Projects like this are consistently working towards the various sub-goals, step by step. Care is taken to find sustainable solutions to improve the water supply in previously disadvantaged regions. "It certainly makes more sense than crawling after the water in the sink..." I think and consider how I could actively contribute to achieving this goal in the future.