Zaria Forman, a contemporary artist residing in New York, creates astonishingly realistic drawings of arctic landscapes. Her extraordinary talent and methodology have gained her critical acclaim, establishing her as one of today’s most influential artists.
Forman uses her fingers and the palm of her hands almost exclusively to create her drawings of quickly disappearing glaciers and icebergs.
Gary White, Co-founder and CEO of Water.org and WaterEquity, is a visionary leader dedicated to addressing the worldwide water crisis. His commitment originated from observing the severe conditions experienced by communities in Honduras lacking safe water and sanitation facilities.
Committed to effecting change, he arranged a fundraising dinner that generated sufficient resources to provide water to a village. This act served as inspiration for establishing WaterPartners International, presently recognized as Water.org, an organization that has significantly improved the well-being of millions of individuals worldwide.
High in the hills of the San Juan Tlacotenco Forest, the worth of water is revealed as nearby villagers make the arduous journey to the Zacasonapan Spring.
For generations, the pilgrimage has been a regular tradition for many who live in the area and rely on the natural water source for survival. A particularly steep and rocky path shows just how treacherous it can be, especially while hauling heavy water jugs on the way back home.
Clean water is essential for all life on Earth to thrive. The water cycle is not contained within our countries’ borders or boundaries, which makes it a challenge to monitor, maintain and implement improvements and changes. Ownership of, and access to, this essential natural resource has been at the forefront of many disputes around the world, between neighboring countries and communities, and even countries on opposite sides of an ocean. Across the globe we are observing conflicts, wars and water refugees as people struggle for equal access to what has been widely termed as Blue Gold.
Economies on both a national and local level depend upon clean freshwater and saltwater regions. In theory, a thriving economy has the ability to fund infrastructure projects and provide basic needs for all of its citizens. However, even wealthy countries are struggling to provide sufficient standards of clean water, with each region negotiating its own bespoke complications.
