Climate change represents one of the biggest threats to our water – its impacts lead to too much water in places vulnerable to flooding and too little where drought creates a crisis of supply.

It creates conditions that intensify water pollution, with more precipitation increasing pollutant runoff in some places and less rain and snow in others to dilute pollutants. In our oceans, climate change alters water chemistry, deteriorates ecosystems and disrupts fish populations that millions of people rely on for their survival.

Put simply, we’re in a water crisis and we need to act like it.

The Walton Family Foundation is committed to protecting water resources in the face of climate change to support healthier rivers and oceans and ensure resilient, thriving communities for generations.

Our new five-year Environment program strategy reflects our determination to find lasting solutions to improve water quality and availability in three key geographies: the Colorado River Basin, the Mississippi River Basin and our oceans.

The graphic below offers an overview of the Environment Program’s theory of change: