Today is World Tourism Day Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future Tourism is putting increasing demands on the quality, availability and accessibility of freshwater worldwide. However it also creates many jobs. Can we strike a balance? Source: WET Report Picture: John Hickey on flickr

Villages of the Dammed Can resettled communities on the Mekong River thrive? One billion people will vacation abroad this year, many travelling to less developed countries in Africa and Asia Source: WET report Picture: Tim Copeland on flickr

Villages of the Dammed Can resettled communities on the Mekong River thrive? Half of all international tourists visit a wetland area. Lake Nakuru in Kenya alone attracts 300,000 visitors a year. Source: Ramsar Picture: Joachim Huber on flickr

Villages of the Dammed Can resettled communities on the Mekong River thrive? In the Ba Bể Lake wetland in Vietnam, tourism contributes $20,000 to the local economy and indirectly improves local livelihoods by up to $1000 annually per household. Source: Ramsar Picture: faboulousfabs on flickr

Villages of the Dammed Can resettled communities on the Mekong River thrive? A four star hotel in Bali needs 50,000 liters of clean water every day. But half of Bali’s population has inadequate access to water and sanitation. Source: The Jakarta Post Picture: dave on flickr

Villages of the Dammed Can resettled communities on the Mekong River thrive? Tourism needs water, but demand is rising, threatening supplies to local communities. Learn more about IWMI’s research on equitable water allocation.more Picture: David Brazier/IWMI