Now, more than ever, we need to fight for the Clean Water Act to ensure our waterways stay secured for generations to come.

The Trump administration is actively trying to roll back progress under the Clean Water Act. These changes would weaken wetlands protections, diminish wastewater investments, and result in significant increases of water pollution.

Passed in 1972, the Clean Water Act gave the EPA the ability to set limits for water pollutants and improve water quality. The law as a whole has prevented trillions of pounds of toxic pollutants since it was enacted.

Before the Clean Water Act, our lakes, ponds, and oceans were open dumping grounds for waste and sewage. By the 1960s, bodies of water across the U.S. were considered to be on the brink of death.

Even though COP30 will lack U.S. representation, other countries have the opportunity to signal how to turn promises into action on the ground to stave off some of the most devastating effects of the climate crisis.

President Trump made his stance on climate change clear when he withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement a day into his second term. His EPA has also moved to overturn long-standing scientific and legal evidence that asserts that climate pollution poses a risk to our health and planet.

And, this year’s event holds special significance—it’s taking place in the Amazon region, focusing attention on protections for forests, nature, and biodiversity.

Leaders from over 190 countries are convening in Belém, Brazil, to devise solutions that will limit their emissions and better protect people enduring the harsh impacts of climate change.

This year’s global climate talk—known as COP30—comes 10 years after the passage of the historic Paris Agreement, which requires countries to reduce their emissions to stay below 2°C, and possibly even 1.5°C, of global warming.