The Dehydrating Book can only be read when wet

To highlight the hidden toll of water scarcity in Latin America, non-profit organisation Water For People has developed a book printed with hydrochromic ink that only becomes visible when the pages are wet.

Water For People created The Dehydrating Book to emphasise how water scarcity can have a devastating impact on the lives and education of children.

The organisation described the book as "the first of its kind that needs water to be read", adding that months of research, development and testing were required to refine the innovative design.

The book is printed with a hydrochromic ink, which causes the story to disappear completely as the pages dehydrate. The text and images only become visible again when water is added.

"The Dehydrating Book is symbolic of the current realities and obstacles many communities in Latin America face," said the organisation's CEO, Mark Duey.

"A lack of safe water for students leads to illness, absenteeism, decreased cognitive performance and low concentration – barriers that prevent children from learning and reaching their full potential."

The book's story was developed collaboratively with students, families and teachers from the village of Palmira in Peru's Cascas Valley, which is one of three districts in the country where Water For People works to provide reliable water services.

The story tells of a thirsty hummingbird called Lupita who travels across the Cachil Forest with her friends – an armadillo, a llama, a turtle, a toucan and a monkey – to drink from the Chicama River.

According to Water For People, Lupita's struggle mirrors that of one in six children living in water-scarce areas in Latin America, as well as the 447 million children worldwide who lack basic drinking water services at their schools.

The non-profit's operations in Peru aim to ensure lasting water and sanitation access for every family, school and health clinic.

The organisation builds infrastructure and collaborates with teachers to integrate water, sanitation and hygiene education into school curricula, thereby increasing community awareness around the importance of this vital resource.

In addition to its initiatives in Latin America, Water For People also operates across countries in Asia and Africa to address the water crisis through targeted support in these areas.

Other projects developed in response to the global water crisis include Mijoda Dajomi's rain-harvesting hats and The Drop Store's conceptual "supermarket" of products, showing what consumption could look like in a world with less water.

All photography courtesy of Water For People.

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