This series from CBC Radio One’s The Current is an in-depth look at how water flows through everything we do. A simple twist of the tap influences global politics, international economics and the ecology of the entire planet.

THE WELL: Three-quarters of the population of Ethiopia do not have access to clean drinking water.

WATER ROAD TO HELL: Making coffee, brushing your teeth and washing your clothes are all part of your water footprint.

BOTTLEMANIA: Bottled water has had one of the most successful marketing campaigns. Also, look at the anti-bottled water movement.

MEET THE BOW RIVER: The Bow River’s journey is emblematic of the water issues in Canada.

INTERVIEW WITH BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI: Water has fuelled both cooperation and animosity between Israelis and Palestinians.

ALBERTA TAR SANDS: The Alberta tar sands are transforming our politics and our society.

THE WATER MERCHANTS: In the Pakistani city of Karachi, finding a glass of clean drinking water can be an enormous struggle.

THE FLUSH OF PROGRESS: In India, where hundreds of millions of people don’t have access to a toilet, sanitation is a tool for social change.

DEAD ZONES OF THE OCEAN: Human activity is changing the chemistry and physics of the ocean.

CANADA’S RIGHT TO FREE PASSAGE: The Navigable Waters Protection Act of 1882 was recently amended by Bill C-10, removing the public’s right to navigation of Canada’s waterways.