‘Living Water’: Season of Creation 2026 calls Christians to respond to global water crisis

Christians worldwide are marking the 2026 Season of Creation , held this year under the theme “Living Water”. According to the guide prepared for the observance, one in four people worldwide lacks access to safe drinking water.

The Season of Creation is an annual ecumenical Christian initiative held from 1 September to 4 October, marked by prayer and action for the care of creation.

This year’s guide highlights the global water crisis: 2.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, while 1.7 billion do not have basic hygiene services in their homes.

Highlighted problems include river pollution, drought, flooding, desertification, the over-extraction of groundwater, and the growing water consumption associated with data centres and the energy required for artificial intelligence, among other things.

Care for creation is a shared responsibility His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is among the Christian leaders who have issued messages for the 2026 Season of Creation, emphasising the need for cooperation in addressing climate change.

“We cannot and should not hope to address climate change without working closely with one another. As we have…