From Access to Safety: Why Water Transport and Storage Must Be the Next Global Priority

With March 22 approaching, the United Nations designated International Water Day brings global attention to one of the world’s most pressing challenges. This year’s theme, Water and Gender, highlights how the global water crisis does not affect everyone equally. While access to water remains a major challenge in many parts of the world, the responsibility of collecting and managing water continues to fall largely on women and girls.

Across many regions, efforts to improve water access are underway, including the development of wells and boreholes or the transportation of water by trucks. Yet one critical issue remains overlooked: access alone does not guarantee safety. In 2025, one of the leading causes of death among children under five was not the lack of water itself, but water-borne diseases.

This raises an urgent question: why is such a significant cause of death still largely overlooked? The answer partly lies in the stage of the water chain that receives the least attention – transportation and storage.

Why Unsafe Water Transport Is a Gender Issue

In many communities affected by water scarcity, women and girls are responsible for collecting and managing household water. This means they carry the physical and social burden of unsafe transportation systems. Carrying heavy containers over long distances can lead to physical strain and injury, while the time required for repeated water collection trips can take hours each day.

These responsibilities also limit access to education and economic opportunities for women and girls. When water becomes contaminated during transport or storage, women often shoulder the additional responsibility of caring for sick family members and finding alternative water sources. The challenge of maintaining hygiene and safe storage therefore becomes an invisible layer of labor that disproportionately affects them.

Marsabit, Kenya

Bridging the Gap Between Access and Safety

Simple and sustainable innovations already exist that can improve the safety of water after it is collected. At WaterSafe, we focus on bridging the gap between access and safety by improving how water is transported, stored

and dispensed at the household level.

As global conversations about water access continue, the focus must expand beyond simply delivering water. In 2026, it is time to recognize that how water is transported and stored is just as important as how it is sourced.

Success should not be measured only by short-term access metrics, but by generational impact: healthier communities, fewer water-borne diseases, and safer daily practices for the women and children who manage water every day.

Marsabit, Kenya