And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Hebrew scriptures (Genesis 1:20-21)
Living creatures are nourished by food, and food is nourished by rain; rain itself is the water of life, which comes from selfless worship and service.
Bhagavad Gita 3:14
You, Yourself created the Universe, and You are pleased. You Yourself are in the air, water and fire; You Yourself united in Union.
Sikh scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Allah said: And We sent down from the sky water (rain) in (due) measure, and We gave it lodging in the earth, and verily, We are Able to take it away.
Quran, Al-Mu’minun:18
Climate change has shown us how scary it can be when the places where we live have too little water…or too much. Sacred texts and teachings from our religions and indigenous practices remind us that water is life and it is our task to care for it. Across the global URI network, Cooperation Circles are protecting water and implementing practices to keep water clean and accessible for all life. Let us, together, give thanks for the sacred gift of water!!
To honor World Water Day (March 22), this 3-page report has been created to celebrate the inspiring water protection efforts (SDG 6) taking place, thanks to faith groups and spiritual communities. This report is connected to the online database, Faith Action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and is the first in a series of periodic updates that will thematically highlight new and ongoing projects.
If you haven’t visited the database recently, please enjoy the projects shared in this supplement; then take some time to learn about other activities being added to this growing resource. New projects can be submitted here.
