The question isn't if we will run out of water. It's when.
Unless we change.

 
 
 

Through her work as a lawyer at various institutions including the World Bank, Mina Guli came to learn about the water crisis. 

Mina has now dedicated her life to raising awareness, and educating the youth of the global water crisis and responsible water leadership.

All photography provided by Kelvin Trautman

 
 
 
Mina Guli Running in Death Valley
 
 

Ultra runner

As founder and ambassador of Thirst, Mina undertakes running expeditions to draw global media attention to the water crisis and to tell stories of responsible water leadership.

Water Advocate

In 2012, Mina founded, Thirst, a Chinese-based charity focusing on educating the youth around invisible water usage and responsible water stewardship. 

 
“I’m not doing this for myself.
I’m doing this for our planet and the generations to come.
I’m running for every person who uses water.”
 
Mina Guli Running in the Richtersveld National Park in South Africa
 
 
“I want every single person on the planet to have a dream they can achieve.
Without water, that is not possible.”
Mina Guli among the students of Thirst Water Program
 
 

Mina's Instagram 

For the first time since I started running in March, I feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew. I'm really battling with my legs. They are in so much pain and I haven't been able to physically run since yesterday afternoon. Traversing sand dunes and trails in ankle-deep sand has slowed my walk down to what I can best describe as a hobble. I have to complete 180km by the end of Sunday. But, I'm not sure how I'm going to do it if I can't run... #Run4Water 📸: @kelvintrautman
Yesterday I climbed down into the depths of one of Cairo’ oldest buildings to see one of the world’s first water measurement devices. Known as al-Miqyas in Arabic, a Nilometer is a structure that was used to measure the Nile River's water level during the annual flood season. Between July and November, the Nile used to flood her banks and cover the adjacent flood plain. When the waters receded, around September or October, a rich deposit of exceptionally fertile black sediment was left behind over the croplands. This is why Ancient Egyptians called the river “Ar” or “Aur”, which means black. The floods were important to the rulers of Egypt, the Caliph, and the general population. A moderate flood was a vital part of the agricultural cycle; however, if it was low, there would be famine. If it was too high, it would be destructive - washing away much of the infrastructure built on the flood plain. Nilometers continued to be used until the 20th century when the Nile’s natural flows were disrupted by the construction of the Aswan dams, which put an end to the Nile's annual inundation, rendering the Nilometers obsolete. One way to anticipate future climate changes is to understand the past. Unfortunately, good records of temperature and precipitation seldom extend back further than 150 years. But, since the Nile River has been of critical economic importance to both ancient and modern Egypt, officials have gauged its water levels for more than 5,000 years. That’s an incredible hydrological time series! These Nilometers are a remarkable reminder of Egypt’s illustrious past and history of water engineering. Seeing this, I got a real sense of the importance of water to Egyptians. #Run4Water 📸: @kelvintrautman
I had just completed my first 10km of my 2nd day in China last week when I heard the news about Cairo. My heart sank. This is a country I have been wanting to visit since I first learned about the ancient Egyptian civilizations in high school. For the next 4 days in China, whilst running, we were on phone call after phone call, consulting friends, family and colleagues about wether we should continue our plans to visit Cairo and Egypt admits the travel warnings that had been issued. 
As I’m writing this, I’m sitting on a train from Cairo to Aswan. I’m struggling to explain my first impressions of Egypt. Since our arrival, the team and I have received nothing but big warm smiles and bear-sized hugs from everyone we’ve met. Egypt and her people are beautiful. 🇪🇬 I’m excited to run along the Nile - the longest river in the world. Her 6,950km of water (which is the equivalent length of 12384 Effiel Towers) travels through 11 different countries. Ancient Egyptians prized and venerated the Nile River. It was their umbilical cord for transport, commerce and agriculture. And with good reason. Egypt is a desert country that has no water resources except for the Nile. And only 6% of the country is arable and agricultural land; the rest of the country is desert. Looking at any map or aerial image, you’ll see that the Nile creates a fertile green valley across a vast desert landscape of North Africa.

Today still Egypt and her 92million people rely on the Nile for an astounding 97% of their water needs. Unfortunately, Egypt has been classified as “water scarce” since 2005. And that’s why I have come here - to learn from the nation who were the first to tame water, about what is being done to save water. #Run4Water 📸: @kelvintrautman
This is an extraordinary country; with awe-inspiring landscapes, nature and beauty juxtapose against the economic powerhouse of production. Xiè xiè nǐ China, for your amazing hospitality and for letting us tell your water stories. Running stats: 1,139km down, 549km to go. #Run4Water Follow @minaguli. 📸: @kelvintrautman
"It is like breathing through a straw." I felt that familiar burn in my throat and chest. Having lived in China for 10 years, I knew what it was from. The air quality index reached a critical 168. This is the cost of progress. Also, today I reached the 1,000km milestone. Only 688km to go. #Run4Water #MinaMilestones 📸: @kelvintrautman
Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still. - Chinese Proverb #Run4Water 📸: @kelvintrautman
"The only way to define your limits is by going beyond them." - A.C. #Run4Water 📸: @kelvintrautman
In 1987 my parents brought my sister and I on a vacation to China during which we took a boat and travelled down the Yangtze River for a couple of days. I still remember the sadness of learning that the river and beautiful surrounding landscape would be changed to make way for the world’s largest dam. The Three Gorges Dam is so big, that when it’s filled to capacity, it will slow the Earth’s rotation—increasing the length of day by 0.06 microseconds! Fast forward 20 years to today, this dam provides power to a large part of China’s population, and drives the production of goods we use all over the world. So, in essence, we are all linked to this dam in some way. It's both remarkable and inspiring to witness the progress that China has made in hydropower production. But, it's important to keep in mind that this progress comes at the price of permanently changing our world. #Run4Water 📸: @kelvintrautman

Mina on Twitter

 
 

No one can change the world alone. 

Mina Guli running on Bad Water Flats in USA