No Water No Life [2] (NWNL) was founded in 2006 by SEJ member Alison M. Jones, [3] a conservation photographer who has documented ecosystems and their management for over 20 years in Africa and the Americas.

NWNL's mission is to combine "the powers of photography, scientific research and stakeholder knowledge to raise awareness of the vital importance of freshwater resources, perils of watershed degradation and opportunities for sustainable resource management."

The six NWNL case-study watersheds are North America’s Columbia, Mississippi and Raritan River Basins and northeastern Africa’s Nile, Omo and Mara River Basins. The NWNL teams, comprising photographers, videographers, scientists, educators and interns, conduct expeditions along a river’s course, or a specific reach, tributary or drainage area that exemplifies significant characteristics.

Through photography, videography and stakeholder interviews, the team records past, current and potential watershed management issues.