14 extraordinary photos show the importance of freshwater habitats

As the magnitude of water shortage issues arise globally, National Geographic Explorers along with the World Freshwater Initiative highlight stories of the communities facing critical challenges. Conservation and education are vital to creating a sustainable future for freshwater use.

As part of the initiative, the World Water Map was launched. Created by the National Geographic Society, in partnership with Utrecht University and Esri, the goal of the map is to provide a geovisualization of global freshwater availability and usage, while identifying critical shortages.