Live Earth, organizer of The Dow Live Earth Run for Water, today announced that Berlin has been selected as a host city – 60 cities and 40 countries are confirmed to host an event – with Bash Events and four.in.one selected to produce the Berlin event and Arche Nova identified as the NGO partner to receive funds raised in Germany. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water is a series of 6 km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water) that will culminate in a water education village taking place on April 18th to raise awareness and funds to help solve the global water crisis.

You can register for the Dow Live Earth Run for Water Berlin run/walk today at http://liveearth.org/berlin.  All participants will receive a free online ActiveTrainer plan to help them prepare for the event. Ten percent of all registration fees go directly to Arche Nova.

Water scarcity is an issue affecting countries, communities and families all over the world. One in eight people don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. Eighty-eight percent of diarrheal cases worldwide are linked to inadequate and unsafe water. These cases result in 1.5 million deaths each year, mostly among children under five. In these areas, women and children are forced to walk 6 km (3.7 miles) each day to secure water that is likely unsuitable for drinking.

The Dow Live Earth Run for Water is a global movement focused on the actions individuals can take to effectively address the issue. People are encouraged to START solving the problem today, RUN in a Dow Live Earth Run for Water run/walk in their community or organize their own run/walk through the Friends of Live Earth program, SAVE water in their home and local community through conservation efforts, GIVE money to support clean, safe water projects and SPEAK UP by signing the Live Earth petition to add water as a basic human right to the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

“Building on the massive success of the Live Earth: Concerts for a Climate in Crisis in 2007, the Dow Live Earth Run for Water will mobilize the global community to once again come together on one day and take action on one of the most serious environmental issues today, the global water crisis,” said Kevin Wall, founder and CEO of Live Earth. “Water scarcity affects everyone whether they are aware of it or not, and the goal of the Dow Live Earth Run for Water is to raise the profile of this issue, educate the world’s citizens about its challenges and offer opportunities to be part of the solution.”

For more information about the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, visit http://liveearth.org/run. For more information on the Berlin event visit http://liveearthberlin.de.

“As the title sponsor for the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, Dow is committed to bringing the science, technology and “human element” it will take to help solve one of the world’s greatest challenges – the global water crisis,” said  Ian Barbour, general manager at Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of Dow. “On April 18, 2010, Dow’s 46,000 employees will join people from around the world to help millions of people around the world gain access to safe, clean drinking water.”