Edinburgh man walks 20km for water shortage crisis
An Edinburgh man will walk twenty kilometres today - raising money to help tackle global water shortages.
Matthew Murphy is leading a group of around 50 volunteers in a charity walk along the Water of Leith. They'll set off from Balerno at 10am, and are expected to reach the Shore of Leith at around 3pm.
Matthew works full-time in renewable energy and who also volunteers with Africa Access Water (AfAW).
He told us:
"Water is a big issue across sub-Saharan Africa but particularly in the country that we focus on, in Zambia. Around 80% of agriculture depends on rain-fed water. We provide solar-powered water which allows agriculture to run even in drought season."
Matthew also pointed out that we in Scotland often take our ready access to water for granted:
"You can go home, turn your taps on, but people in Africa don't have this sort of access. It's a necessity (for them) to walk along water, and what we're doing is walking for enjoyment, linking to that thinking about people who aren't as fortunate as us."
If you would like to find out more or donate to Matthew's fundraiser visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/water-of-leith-2026-afaw