New York, Aug. 27 -- Every drop of water comes at a price for communities in Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz Region.

For many families, access to clean water means walking for hours to rivers shared by people and animals. Women and girls carry the greatest burden, making long and dangerous journeys every day to collect water that is often unsafe to drink. The consequences are far-reaching: children frequently fall sick, household responsibilities pile up, and women face immense risks.

For Hawa Abdulahi, those challenges are a recent reality, and she remembers them all too well.

Every morning, the mother from Ashen Al Metema Kebele in Bambasi Woreda set out before sunrise with empty jerrycans, preparing for a journey that took more than an...