Water justice: why water is the issue of our time

Recording of Leana Hosea's talk can be found here.

Former BBC journalist and founder of Watershed Investigations discussed why water is the issue of our time. Leana Hosea explored some of the key water stories she has covered and flag up the challenges we face in the near future. Over the two years working as a producer and reporter in the Middle East, Leana saw how the lack of water bubbled under the surface of poverty and unrest in the region. For her documentary film 'Thirst For Justice', she explored how the marketisation of water led to a shocking lack of clean water for many communities. From the contamination of water in Flint, Michigan with lead, to uranium polluting drinking water sources on the Navajo Native American reservation, 'Thirst for Justice' shows what can happen when people have no rights to clean water. If Americans were unknowingly drinking contaminated water, could it be happening in the UK? These questions led to the founding of Watershed Investigations and an ongoing investigation into 'forever chemical' pollution in the UK.

Leana Hosea is an award-winning multimedia journalist and filmmaker, with 18 years of experience working for BBC news around the world, including in hostile environments and natural disasters. She is the founder of Watershed Investigations, a nonprofit investigative journalism unit focussed on water.