The death of water

The Nile, the Ganges, the Amazon, the Rhine… Are choked with chemicals and trash. [Sign the petition]( The Nile, the Ganges, the Amazon, the Rhine… Earth's greatest rivers, essential to humanity's survival, are choked with dams, sewage, toxic chemicals, and endless plastic. But in weeks, governments could decide to kickstart the biggest water protection effort in history! Let's supercharge champion countries with one million voices before big polluters derail the plan. [Sign the petition]( Dear friends, The Earth's rivers are dying – and that means we are too. Experts say that unless we act now, in just 2 years, two-thirds of the world’s population may face safe water shortages. It will affect billions of us! We need urgent global action to turn this around – and right now, we have a chance to get it! Countries are about to gather for the first UN Water Conference in almost 50 years to consider bold plans to restore the world's dying rivers and secure water as a fundamental human right, not for profit. Insiders say that with enough public pressure, we could win unprecedented protections for rivers and the water they carry. But laggard governments and big corporations will fight back to derail action! So let’s build a massive groundswell of public support for Earth’s water and deliver the voices of people everywhere in a resounding roar to save our precious lakes, rivers, and freshwater ecosystems while we still can! [Sign the petition to bring our rivers back to life!]( It is now or never. The rivers, lakes, and wetlands – essential in the great freshwater cycles that keep us all alive – are blocked by dams, choked with trash and poisoned with chemicals and other pollutants. GMO corporations, mining groups, industrial agriculture and single-use plastics are all to blame. It's time to fight back against the unchecked corporate interests wrecking our rivers. Last December, world leaders promised to put at least 30 percent of the planet under protection by 2030. While this is an important step forward, the science is clear that we must go further and protect at least half the Earth so our rivers, lakes, and wetlands have a chance to survive. This March, following up on this landmark agreement, a historic UN Water Conference will kick off a crucial period of negotiations. Water defenders and champion countries will demand that world leaders deliver national commitments and secure the funding needed to kickstart the most significant freshwater restoration in human history. We must act before it is too late! Every person on Earth relies on clean water to survive. Join the global call to protect the Earth’s freshwater ecosystems and share it everywhere. [Sign the petition to bring our rivers back to life!]( The fight to protect people's rights and nature from the greedy interests of private corporations and big oil is part of our movement's DNA. We marched in our millions to secure a 1.5ºC aligned world; we campaigned for years to protect half of the Earth so ecosystems can regenerate and thrive. Now let's make sure that our movement plays a role in preserving water, the very origin of life. With hope and determination, Patri, Miguel, Bieta, John, Diego, Luis, and the whole Avaaz team More information - [UN-Water Conference]( (United Nations) - [The Freshwater crisis]( (National Geographic) - [Colombia champions call for Freshwater Challenge]( (WWF) - [State of the world's drinking water: An urgent call to action to accelerate progress on ensuring safe drinking water for all]( (WHO) - [Beyond boundaries: Earth’s water cycle is being bent to breaking point]( (Mongabay) Avaaz is a 70-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns [here](, or follow us on [Facebook](, [Twitter](, or [Instagram](. You became a member of the Avaaz movement and started receiving these emails when you signed "Join Avaaz!" on 2016-03-01 using the email address {EMAIL}. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add avaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, [contact us](, or simply [go here to unsubscribe](. To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to us at [www.avaaz.org/en/contact]( . [Avaaz.org] 27 Union Square West Suite 500 New York, NY 10003 [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram](