The seeming abundance of drinking water is a mirage. Pollution and waste threaten the small portion of water available for drinking. In many countries, most sewage is discharged directly into rivers, contaminating drinking water. From America's Great Plains to India, excessive pumping for irrigation has caused groundwater levels to drop, threatening water supplies. The world's growing population only intensifies the need for clean water.
Most environmental goals transcend national boundaries.
In seeking to balance population and economic growth with sustainable development, EDF is forging alliances among environmental, health, and women's groups here and abroad. At the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo last fall, EDF took a leading role in educating delegates and others on these issues. On her way to a meeting at the Cairo conference on population and development is EDF population specialist Geetanjali Misra. As people in the developing world struggle to find safe drinking water, EDF is advocating alternatives to the huge, costly dams and irrigation projects that often fail to serve people's needs. Reducing pollution from electric power plants is the goal of Elfin, a computer planning model introduced by EDF in 1977.