"The wars of the 21st century will not be fought over oil, but over water", said the later UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in 1986. Even then, the dispute over water was part of many people's everyday lives, and global warming has exacerbated the water shortage and thus the potential for conflict. The poorest of the poor are particularly affected by the shortage.

Blue Communities recognise water as a public good. They pay attention to the sustainable use of water and work to ensure that water supply and use remain in public hands. They support other countries in providing a functioning public drinking water supply and in achieving sustainable water management. To this end, they maintain a long-term exchange of knowledge and experience with partners at home and abroad.

Blue Communities encourage the people around them to drink more tap water again. Within their own structures and operational processes, they strive to use drinking water responsibly and use drinking water from the public water supply as much as possible. Drinking local, non-bottled and non-transported water protects the environment. Providing tap water requires a thousand times less energy than mineral water.

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