The international tug-of-war over carbon emission thresholds and other instruments meant to limit the deterioration of the earth's climate has caused a big stir in recent months, but yielded little results. Therefore the international community must now get ready to take care of those who will be forced from their homes by climate change.

In an ecumenical declaration to be presented at the final session of the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, Christian organizations and individuals stress the positive role that religions and spirituality can play for a more harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

In an act of solidarity with the 2.5 billion people in the world who do not have access to safe, private and hygienic lavatories, staff members of church-related organizations based at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, including the WCC, queued in front of a symbolic "toilet door" on World Water Day, 22 March.

Both Haiti and Chile are suffering from the consequences of major disasters. In both cases, people have lost their lives, loved ones, and their homes. In both cases, churches and related organizations are responding, among them members of the ACT Alliance some of who are at the same time participants and partners of the Ecumenical Water Network.

On 21 February, Rev Prof Steve de Gruchy drowned while he was river tubing on the Mooi River in South Africa. Steve, his contributions and his work for sustainable and ethical development were, and will remain, much loved and appreciated by his colleagues and friends around the world.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has called on the whole ecumenical family to keep pushing the international community for a "fair, ambitious and binding agreement" on climate change, in view of the UN climate summit to take place in Mexico in December.

"Holy Waters" is the theme of this year's Lenten reflections provided by the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN). Starting on Monday 15 February the weekly reflections will explore the connection between the way water is used in different liturgical practices and our "daily water".

What does the Bible say about climate change? What are the theological insights churches can offer to a world facing an unprecedented ecological crisis? These questions, addressed at a public seminar on "Creation and the climate crisis" attended by church representatives to the UN climate summit in Copenhagen on 15 December, seem even more urgent after the summit’s failure to reach the fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement...

As the excitement of the Copenhagen climate change talks subside, the time for matching reality with expectations has begun. From the perspective of the World Council of Churches (WCC) the outcome of the negotiations unfortunately did not match expectations.

"The gospel in the 21st century has gone beyond just preaching and evangelization. The Church must reach out to the poor, sick and thirsty like Jesus did, extending the love of Christ through every possible way", said Rev. Okechukwu Kalu Iro, national director of the Presbyterian Community Services and Development, during the inauguration of the churches’ new Preach Water Foundation on Sunday, 6 December in Lagos, Nigeria.