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Water is the essence of life, yet the world is moving closer to a severe drinking water crisis. Rapid urbanization, industrial expansion, climate change and unsustainable resource management have pushed water security to the brink in many regions. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2.2 billion people globally lack access to safely managed drinking water, and over 485,000 deaths each year are linked to diseases caused by contaminated water (WHO, 2022). By 2050, the United Nations projects that more than half of global population will life in areas suffering from water scarcity (UN, 2024). This crisis in not limited to dry, arid countries. Even the regions once abundant in freshwater now face pollution, declining groundwater quality, and poor infrastructure. Contaminants such as heavy metals, agriculture runoff, and microplastics increasingly threaten the safety of water sources worldwide, creating complex challenges that go beyond traditional public health interventions.

Community Readiness: The Human Factor in Water Resilience

Beyond infrastructure, human preparedness plays a decisive role in mitigating water crises. A community’s readiness includes its knowledge, behavior, emergency planning, early warning systems, and ability to mobilize local resources. The UNESCO/LIPI in disaster preparedness framework identifies these as key components of resilience, emphasizing that education and participation are as vital as technology. Global studies reveal that community awareness is often the weakest link. For example, a 2022 UN-Water report found that while 75% of countries have national water safety policies, populations unaware of risks and unprepared for emergencies such as drought, contamination, or infrastructure breakdowns (UN, 2024).

Lessons from Padang City, Indonesia: A Microcosm of Global Challenges

Research conducted in Padang City, Indonesia, illustrates the real-world implications of these global trends. Despite improvement in infrastructure, 97.7% of household had access to water source, but many relied on unfiltered or contaminated wells. Another study found that manganese (Mn) levels in local rivers exceed safe drinking limits, while public knowledge of heavy metal hazards remained low (Alfian et al., 2024) (Figure 2). Community education programs conducted through home visit and visual media significantly increased awareness, demonstrating that localized, participatory approaches can change behavior and strengthen preparedness (Alfian et al., 2025).

A separate assessment of community readiness in slum areas revealed that only 42.9% of residents showed high preparedness to face water crises, mainly due to lack of early warning systems and government coordination (Angelica et al., 2023). Although this finding pertains to a local context, it reflects a universal challenge: even where data and infrastructure exist, human awareness and policy integration often lag behind.

Building Global Water Resilience Through Empowered Communities

To address water insecurity, communities worldwide must be placed at center of water governance. Several strategies have proven effective:

1. Water Education and Risk Communication

Public health campaigns, school-based education, and local media engagement can transform awareness into preventive behavior. Programs in countries like India, Kenya and Indonesia have shown that household level interventions such as boiling, filtering, and rainwater harvesting can significantly reduce disease burden (WHO, 2023).

2. Decentralized Water Management

Empowering communities to manage local water systems, such as through community base water committees, ensures sustainability and accountability. Initiatives like PAMSIMAS in Indonesia and WASH programs in Sub-Saharan Africa highlight the benefits of participatory planning.

3. Integration of Technology and Early Warning Systems

Mobile based monitoring, low-cost sensors, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven forecasting tools can help detect pollution and predict drought risks, allowing communities to respond early.

4. Policy Synergy and Equity

Governments must harmonize environmental, health and infrastructure policies. Investment in rural and marginalized areas in essential to close the gap in safe water access.

Conclusion

The global drinking water crisis is both an environmental and human challenge. While technology and infrastructure are indispensable, they cannot succeed without an informed and prepared public. Communities equipped with knowledge, supported by coherent policy, empowered through participation are the backbone of sustainability water resilience. Experience from Countries like Indonesia remind us that preparedness begins at the community level-one household, one neighborhood, one local action at a time. Only through collective awareness and coordinate effort can humanity secure the right to safe, clean, and sustainable drinking water for future generations.

References

1. World Health Organization (WHO). Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 2000–2022. Geneva: WHO & UNICEF, 2023.

2. United Nations (UN). World Water Development Report 2024: Water for Prosperity and Peace. Paris: UNESCO, 2024.

3. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Sixth Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. 2022.

4. World Bank. Water Global Practice Annual Report 2023. Washington DC: World Bank Group.

5. Angelica AE, Alfian AR, Rahmah SP. People’s Readiness to Face Water Crisis Disaster in Padang Slump Areas.E3S Web of Conferences, 2023; 464:11002.

6. Alfian AR, Salsabilla R, Rahmah SP, Firdani F, Gusti A. Analysis of Drinking Water Provision in Urban Slum Areas of Padang City. Jurnal Kesehatan Lingkungan Indonesia, 2024;23(3):326–333.

7. Alfian AR, Firdani F, Nanda AM. Education on the Dangers of Heavy Metals in Drinking Water. SEWAGATI Journal of Community Service, 2025;9(4).