Water shapes how people spend their time, the choices available to them, and their ability to participate in community and economic life. For the estimated 2.1 billion people who lack access to safe water and the 3.4 billion who lack access to safe sanitation, water dictates everything.  People living in poverty are affected first and worst by water—they lose time to collecting water, face preventable illnesses, and have fewer opportunities to work or learn. These conditions directly affect