Ok folks, strap in for a virtual tour with more hyperlinks than anyone is comfortable with.

Here at Quiet Way we chant “collaboration,” and we’re passionate about knowledge sharing. In answer to the question of who is working on the global water crisis, I wanted to paint a clearer picture of who the water responders are with this post, highlighting a few note-worthy water-focused organizations. My disclaimer is this: there are numerous organizations that include water and sanitation among their many high-impact projects, but I will solely cover international organizations with a singular focus on water.

Water For People

Water For People has an amazing video that embodies a lot of what Quiet Way represents, please watch it!

Water For People has also set up the Tap Portal, a social networking site for people interested in water issues to collaborate. This is interesting because Quiet Way will be launching our Water Forum soon, a similar initiative for collaboration. The Tap Portal is completely in line with what we’re advocating but there is a lack of discussion, so our goal is to get the sharing & discussion going! Check out their field level operations (flow) map too.

Charity:Water

Charity:Water helps individuals raise money for individual water projects (1,835 water projects thus far), allowing donors/volunteers to feel truly connected to the work. We recognize Charity:Water as the marketing guru of all water organizations. It’s important to get the message out about water, and Charity:Water does well with good-looking media, materials, and products to educate and emotionally connect with supporters . We especially want you to watch their “Why Water?” video.

Water.org

Water.org focuses on community-level water supply projects, and it has a range of praiseworthy programs, such as WaterCredit. Also, check out their map using data from the Joint Monitoring Program of WHO and UNICEF. Water.org seems to do their homework on every country they go to (See their info on water in Kenya), and they share what they know.

WaterAid

WaterAid was established in ’81 so they’ve been around longer than most. Check out the components of their work, such as how they have independent evaluations of programs, community lead sanitation projects, hygiene education, and partnerships with other big aid organizations.

ColumbiaWater

The Columbia Water Center at Columbia University wants to tackle water scarcity on all levels. Their mission states their desire to “design reliable, sustainable models of water management and development that can be implemented on local, regional and global levels.” Using rigorous research to influence policy is great, and we support their holistic approach. The institute offers a seminar series, college courses/internships, and a plethora of research articles to search through. The blog is informative and updated constantly. Rock on. To go beyond this blog post on water orgs, ColumbiaWater has posted a list of links to other water organizations right herr.

There are many more organizations of note to check out:

Thirst Relief International: Bio-sand filters used to clean water sources
Global Water Research Coalition: Many institutes/orgs working together. That’s what we like.
International Water Association: Global network for water professionals.
The Water Project: Funds wells and other water projects
Water for the Ages:A blog on water that also lists links to other organizations.
Water Dialogues: Dialogues on water and the private sector
Freshwater Action Network (FAN)

Although not established solely for water, some of the big boys here (UN, WHO) make a greater impact within their water programs than the smaller water-focused nonprofits.

These are some big boy examples to check out:

UNESCO International Hydrological Program
UNESCO Water Portal
UN Water
World Health Organization (WHO) Water Sanitation and Health
CARE

Feel free to leave comments with your opinion of these organizations or if you want to mention ones that weren’t mentioned here!

-Nicole Styler
Twitter: @nstyler9