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Sir Stephen Fry and Adjoa Andoh MBE put water centre stage in new climate film with WaterAid ahead of COP30

WaterAid Australia

Key Facts:

• 696 million people in the world – almost one in ten – don’t have clean water close to home.¹  
• 1.7 billion people in the world – one in five – lack soap and/or water to wash their hands at home, if they have a place at all.¹  
• 1.5 billion people in the world – less than one in five – don’t have a decent toilet of their own.¹   
• Almost 400,000 children under five die every year due to diseases caused by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. That's more than 1,000 children a day. ²
• Investing in safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services provides up to 21 times more value than it costs.³
• Worldwide, women and girls spend 200 million hours every day collecting water. ⁴

^[1] WHO/UNICEF (2025). Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2024: special focus on inequalities. Available at: washdata.org/reports/jmp2025-wash-households (accessed 27 Aug 2025).  

^[2] WHO (2023). Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene: 2019 update. Available at: who.int/publications/i/item/9789240075610 (accessed 24 Jul 2023).

^[3] WaterAid (2021). Mission-critical: Invest in water, sanitation and hygiene for a healthy and green economic recovery. Available at: washmatters.wateraid.org/publications/mission-critical-invest-water-sanitation-hygiene-healthy-green-recovery (accessed 1 Nov 2023).

^[4] UNICEF (2016). Collecting water is often a colossal waste of time for women and girls. Available at: unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-collecting-water-often-colossal-waste-time-women-and-girls (accessed 09 Jan 2024).

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

10 November 2025

 

Sir Stephen Fry and Adjoa Andoh MBE put water centre stage in new climate film with WaterAid ahead of COP30

 

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View “Water Can’t Wait” film, screenshots and teaser cuts
Read WaterAid’s report

• Sir Stephen Fry and other celebrities join WaterAid film urging COP30 leaders to act on global water security
• Adjoa Andoh pens foreword to new report revealing links between global deforestation and water scarcity
  

Actors Sir Stephen Fry and Adjoa Andoh MBE star in a new film from international charity WaterAid, calling for urgent action to address the global water and climate crisis, reminding the world that “Water Can’t Wait”.

The short film features the two icons alongside ornithologist Mya-Rose Craig and activist Dr Vee (Varaidzo Kativhu) as they explain how water is at the heart of the climate crisis, in both its role in extreme weather and the solution to helping people adapt to climate change.

Globally, one in ten people still have no clean water close to home and climate change is making this crisis worse, with droughts drying up water sources and floods contaminating them.

The film weaves together arresting imagery of extreme weather, the fragility of nature, and compelling footage of communities whose lives have been changed by clean water. It is a timely reminder for world leaders heading to COP30 in Brazil this week to put water at the forefront of climate plans, because change starts with water.

Sir Stephen Fry, actor and author (A Bit of Fry & Laurie, QI, The Celebrity Traitors), said:

“The climate crisis is a water crisis; today, too much water, and tomorrow, not enough. More frequent and extreme flooding pollutes water sources, while longer droughts dry up springs, impacting millions of lives. Clean water means change, health, an education, recovery from disaster, and readiness no matter what the future may hold.” 

The film coincides with the launch of WaterAid’s new landmark report, From Roots to Rivers: How Deforestation Threatens Freshwater Access. In addition to starring in the film, Adjoa has authored the foreword for the report, emphasising the need to “tackle water insecurity and deforestation as interconnected challenges”.

Deforestation is driving widespread water loss, impacting at least 122 million people in West Africa, the report finds. For every 1,000 hectares of forest cleared in Niger and Nigeria, almost 10 hectares of surface water disappear, reducing access to clean drinking water and putting communities at risk from disease, food insecurity and displacement. This is because forests regulate rainfall, capture moisture, and recharge groundwater.

Adjoa Andoh MBE, actor (Bridgerton, Invictus, Adulthood), advocate and patron of Tree Aid, said:

“Trees and water are the essence of life on earth, providing oxygen, fertile soil for crops, and a liveable planet. Forests literally breathe life and water for all of us. When trees are cut down, water disappears.

"We must tackle water insecurity and deforestation as interconnected challenges leading to poverty, community disintegration and land degradation. We are all interconnected and finding ways to work together is our only future."

Published in partnership with Tree Aid, the report draws on 12 years of satellite imagery to reveal the scale of the crisis.

WaterAid warns that deforestation can have profound implications globally, – 75% of the world’s accessible freshwater comes from forested landscapes, and a third of the world’s largest cities rely on protected forests for their clean water.

At COP30, WaterAid is calling on governments to integrate forest and water action into future climate finance pledges and climate plans; as well as delivering a critical agreement on adaptation; prioritising water in international commitments; and centring the leadership of local communities in climate action.

Tom Muller Chief Executive at WaterAid Australia, said:

“When forests vanish, we all lose vital defences against climate change and water scarcity. Our report shows deforestation in West Africa threatens water security for 122 million people.

"Protecting forests isn’t optional; it’s essential for safeguarding our water, our weather, and our shared future. That’s why at COP30, we’re calling on global governments to take urgent action to tackle the interconnected nature, water and climate crisis and help people break free from poverty."

“Water Can’t Wait” starring Sir Stephen Fry and Adjoa Andoh MBE is available now on WaterAid's social channels and Youtube.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

Link to film: https://dam.wi0.orangelogic.com/Share/1syp67dnem73qsc6x83p5amg8n77i0rq

Link to report: https://washmatters.wateraid.org/publications/from-roots-to-rivers-how-deforestation-impacts-freshwater-access 

 

About us:

WaterAid

WaterAid is an international non-profit with one goal: to change the world through water. Along with decent toilets and good hygiene, a reliable supply of clean water is essential for health, dignity and a life full of opportunity. We work alongside communities in 22 countries, setting up entire systems that deliver clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene for millions of people. Since 1981, WaterAid UK and its Country Programmes have reached 28.9 million people with clean water, 29.2 million people with decent toilets and 28.7 million people with good hygiene.

 

Contact details:

For more information, please contact:

Tegan Dunne, Public Relations and Communications Manager, WaterAid Australia, [email protected]