1. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from drinking contaminated water.

2. More than 2.2 million people, mostly in developing countries, die each year from diseases associated with poor water and unsanitary conditions.

3. Only 1% of the total water resources on earth is available for human use. While 70% of the world's surface is covered by water, 97.5% of that is salt water. Of the remaining 2.5% that is freshwater, almost 68.7% is frozen in ice caps and glaciers.

4. Water scarcity already affects every continent and more than 40% of the people on our planet.

5. There are 1.1 billion people, or 18% of the world's population, who lack access to safe drinking water. About 2.6 billion people, or 42% of the total, lack access to basic sanitation.

6. By 2025, it is estimated that about two thirds of the world's population - about 5.5 billion people - will live in areas facing moderate to severe water stress.

7. The world's population is expected to increase to approximately 7.2 billion people by 2015. Almost 95% of the increase is expected to be in developing regions.

8. In an industrialized city with plenty of water, flushing the lavatory in an average household can send up to 50 litres (13 gallons) of water down the drain every day. Yet more than one in six people worldwide - 1.1 billion - don't have access to 20-50 litres of safe freshwater daily, the minimum range suggested by the UN to ensure each person's basic needs for drinking, cooking and cleaning.

9. About 90% of sewage and 70% of industrial wastes in developing countries are discharged into water courses without treatment, often polluting the usable water supply.

10. The economic payback from investing US$11.3 billion per year to reach the Millennium targets for drinking water and sanitation by 2015 is estimated to be US$ 84 billion.

The United Nations Association of New York has honored Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation of RI with its 2007 Humanitarian Award, in recognition of Rotary’s significant efforts to provide safe water and sanitation and its commitment to sustainable development worldwide.

"In the years since Rotary International has started focusing on water as one of its annual service emphases…We’ve learned just how much can be accomplished with relatively little, how a single small water project, perhaps a pump or a filter, can change the life of a community," says RI President Wilfrid J. Wilkinson. "However, our work has also included participation in many other major water projects."

The award is presented annually in observance of United Nations Day (24 October). This year's award ceremony has focused on the global water crisis. Other honorees include Antony Burgmans, former chair of Unilever, and Cirque du Soleil's One Drop Foundation.

Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and special adviser to the UN secretary-general, served as honorary chair of the event.

The proceeds from the award ceremony and dinner will benefit organizations and enterprises working to alleviate water-related problems around the world.

Rotary eClub One is actively involved in water projects including La Mulita, the water cart that aids women and children in the transport of water containers from safe collection points to their homes.