Studies reveal that 2.1 billion people across Asia and the Pacific lack access to safe water and sanitation. If collective action isn't taken to address this, it might be too late—especially for the next generation.

To help youth understand the gravity of this situation, the Ayala Foundation, the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have partnered with Oxford University to bring the traveling “Fair Water?” exhibition to the Philippines. Now displayed at the Ayala Museum in Makati City, the exhibit offers an immersive experience exploring global water security challenges, highlighting issues and case studies specific to the Philippines and the wider Asia region.

In an interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Vivek Raman, principal urban development specialist at ADB, explained that the exhibition is localized with young Filipinos aged eight to 22 in mind.

“Water security is a big issue globally, including the Philippines. And we at ADB are trying to put a lot of emphasis on the next generation of water leaders, the youth,” he said. “When we saw this exhibit at Oxford University, we immediately said that this is for children, and brought it here for the Filipino youth.”

He also said that they wanted this show to tell children that water issues are more than water conservation. “But we have to be very careful about the messaging. It’s not just about turning off your faucets. We wanted the youth to understand that it’s a complex issue,” Vivek shared. “There are institutional issues behind it. There are governance issues behind it, infrastructure, and financing. So this exhibit is a small attempt to get children to read about this and be prepared for a water-secure future.”

Through interactive displays, short films (including one featuring Dumagat Indigenous People and their fight to protect their land and water sources), and fun games, this local leg of the “Fair Water?” exhibition aims to engage youth in understanding and addressing water security challenges. It is also designed to inspire them to become active participants in creating sustainable water solutions within their communities and the country. The exhibition also spotlighted the work of Filipino artist Pergy Acuña, who designed the board game “Flow Forward: The Pasig River Game.”

Additionally, weekly talks by industry experts will cover diverse topics such as “The role of clean water in preventing disease,” “How climate change impacts water and ways to conserve it,” and “Actions everyone can take to protect water.”

“We are focusing on young people. We are focusing on students and teachers to bring it down to their level for them to understand, be more aware of the problems, challenges, the future, and the new water heroes that we have,” Susan Afan, president of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, told Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “In one of the talks, we would hear about a group of children from Mindanao and their story on how they worked together because they knew that the flood was coming. So please, come to all of our talks. It’s for 12 weeks every Saturday starting May 31, 2025. It’s free and open to the public, talks start at 9:30 a.m.”

The “Fair Water?” exhibition runs at the Ayala Museum until Aug. 28, 2025. The partner organizations also hope to extend the exhibit’s reach to a wider audience by making it available online.