By 2040, more than half of our summers are expected to be hotter than the 2003 heatwave, according to a speech given by the Environment Agency’s Chief Executive Sir James Bevan. A staggering five billion people, almost half the global population, currently live in areas that are water-scarce at least one month per year and, by 2045, projections estimate that more than five billion people could suffer water shortages.

For many football fans the reality of living with extreme water scarcity is now just one generation away, as a new campaign from Brave for Xylem demonstrates.

‘The End of Football’ created in partnership with Manchester City, follows one young fan’s journey, from walking out onto the field with her heroes through to the present day when we see her son doing the same, albeit in a very different world. While the pitch was a luscious green when she was small, for her son, the grass is parched and dried brown, with the commentators speculating that this could be the club’s very last game.

The campaign has been designed to educate football fans on the very real, serious and ever-growing water challenges facing the planet by highlighting the detrimental effects that water complacency can, and will, have on the world as we know it.

Joseph Vesey, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Xylem, explained: “Though the End of Football campaign was conceived and shot before the coronavirus pandemic brought a temporary halt to football, the message behind the campaign has never been more appropriate. With the support of the Club and its legions of fans, we have the power to elevate the conversation on water conservation and create a more sustainable future for all.”

As the global pandemic continues to affect communities, industries and countries around the world, the environmental problems we were already experiencing as a population have not gone away. Campaigns such as this highlight the importance of education through storytelling and the power of sport to spread a wider message.