Clean drinking water projects can reduce emissions from deforestation and the burning of fuels. Provision of filters or installation of water pumps and infrastructure in rural communities to eliminate the need to boil water. These projects ensure that households consume less firewood during the process of water purification and as a result, reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 

Providing clean drinking water to rural households in Southeast Asia and rural Africa reduces reliance on boiling water. Gold Standard projects in Cambodia and Rwanda help to reduce deforestation by providing ceramic water purifiers or installing and maintaining water pumps for communities, eliminating the need to boil water to prevent water-borne diseases. 

Water filters and infrastructure reduce deforestation and protect wildlife habitat by reducing the need to consume woods for water purification. These projects also reduce indoor air pollution and the risk of waterborne diseases, help to reduce adverse health outcomes.