The Netflix documentary below World’s Water Crisis explores humanity’s growing struggle to secure clean, accessible water in a world where it is increasingly scarce. Although modern life allows many to take running water for granted, the film shows how fragile this privilege truly is. Using Cape Town’s near-catastrophic “Day Zero” as a central example, the documentary highlights how cities across the globe—including São Paulo, Melbourne, and Mexico City—are approaching similar tipping points due to overuse, drought, and poor water management.
The crisis is not about a lack of water globally—Earth has a vast supply—but about access to the small percentage of freshwater available. Climate change, rapid urbanization, and population growth are all contributing to the stress on water systems. In places like Mexico City, ancient lakes have been drained and underground aquifers overexploited, causing the city to sink. At the same time, water infrastructure in many parts of the world is crumbling, with leaks and waste leading to massive losses of treated water. Despite these risks, water remains undervalued, and consumption continues to rise.
A major contributor to the problem is agriculture and industry, which consume the majority of freshwater—often in inefficient or unsustainable ways. Alfalfa, a crop used to feed cattle, is grown in deserts with water diverted from rivers like the Colorado. The documentary criticizes how water is treated as an unlimited resource, often subsidized or practically free for large-scale users. Meanwhile, private companies and hedge funds are beginning to treat water as a commodity, raising ethical concerns over profit-driven access to a human right.
Despite the grim outlook, World’s Water Crisis also offers hope. Cape Town managed to avert Day Zero through rapid public cooperation and conservation, showing what’s possible when people are informed and motivated. The film calls for urgent global action: rethinking how we value water, investing in sustainable systems, and protecting access for all—especially the most vulnerable. It’s a powerful reminder that our shared future depends on the decisions we make today about one of Earth’s most essential and irreplaceable resources.
Native fish suffocating as parts of Murray-Darling Basin turn toxic from floodwaters
Journal and reflect on the following questions
What surprised you most about the global water crisis as presented in the documentary?How did it challenge your previous understanding of water access?
Cape Town’s response to the threat of Day Zero involved collective effort and behavior change.What does this teach us about the power of community action in times of crisis?
Only 1% of Earth’s water is accessible and usable for human survival.What does this tell us about the importance of valuing water as more than just a commodity?
How does climate change influence the global water crisis, and why is this especially concerning for future generations?
The documentary shows that much of the world’s water is used for agriculture and industry, not for drinking or hygiene.How might this knowledge affect your choices about what you eat, wear, or consume?
The idea of pricing water more accurately is controversial, especially for poorer communities.How can we balance the need to conserve water with the principle that water is a basic human right?
What practical steps can you take in your own life, school, or community to help address the water crisis and promote more sustainable water use?
Discuss
Song - Where do children play?
Song - Rivers Run Red
Final Prayer
Loving Creator, you formed the earth and filled it with water—source of life, beauty, and renewal. We thank you for the gift of clean water and acknowledge the injustice faced by millions who live without it. Open our hearts to the cries of the earth and the poor, and give us the courage to act with compassion, wisdom, and urgency. Help us to be faithful stewards of your creation, to use resources responsibly, and to advocate for systems that ensure dignity, equity, and sustainability for all. May we never take for granted the sacredness of water, and may our daily choices reflect your vision of justice, peace, and care for our common home. Amen.
