This World Water Day, Live Earth is urging citizens to step up and help solve one of the greatest challenges of this generation – the global water crisis. On April 18th, people around the world can join Live Earth in more than 100 cities at the Dow Live Earth Run for Water -- a series of 6 km run/walks (symbolic of the average distance many women and children walk every day to secure water), combined with live concerts and water education activities that will ignite a global movement to help solve the water crisis. World-renowned artists such as Melissa Etheridge, Rob Thomas and The Parlotones, as well as supporters Alexandra Cousteau, Pete Wentz, Angelique Kidjo, Carl Lewis, Kara Goucher, Dean Karnazes, Jenny Fletcher and The Prince of Orange will join forces to support the cause on April 18th.

Water is a basic human right, and yet nearly one billion people on this planet don't have access to it. Every day, thousands of women and children die due to lack of adequate drinking water. Eighty-eight percent of diarrheal cases worldwide are linked to inadequate and unsafe water. These cases result in 1.5 million annual deaths, mostly among children under the age of 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.

"There's no question that the global water crisis is one of colossal proportions. But the difference between this crisis and so many others is that there are solutions now to reverse it – and these solutions begin when we as a generation stand up and take part during a tipping point event like the Dow Live Earth Run for Water." said Alexandra Cousteau, global water advocate and founder of Blue Legacy International. "On April 18th, the world community needs to rally together, take ownership of the critical issue of water and empower each other to work daily towards ending this crisis."

Live Earth’s NGO partners are organizing many of the events taking place on World Water Day around the world, from UNEP's World Water Day Water Day Conference in Nairobi, to more than 600 Dutch schools holding Walking for Water events in partnership with Aqua for All:

• Akvo will organize a major event in Amsterdam to showcase the latest Dutch efforts to tackle the water crisis.
• Pump Aid and End Water Poverty in the UK are leading the charge to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest toilet queue to raise understanding of the lack of poor sanitation across the world.
• The GLOBE Program created a week-long global World Water Day Event during which schools will be investigating local water quality and using the research to participate in direct action that will improve water resources in their area.
• Arche noVa in Germany will work with artist Herman Josef Hack and student artists to inspire discussion about the human right to water.
• Lakarmissionen/IAS is focusing on raising awareness of water issues facing refugees in Darfur.
• Global Water Challenge, National Geographic, Alexandra Cousteau and her Blue Legacy organization, and other U.S. partners are holding events in Washington, DC to call for stronger commitments and more robust action to ensure universal access to clean drinking water and safe sanitation, including participation by Senator Clinton and advocacy with members of Congress.

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Click here to read artist and supporter profiles
Click here for Dow Live Earth Run for Water partner profiles.