Rapper Jay-Z is swapping the stage for the soap box as he prepares to teach the world about the importance of water conservation.

The star is set to team up with the secretary general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, in an effort to teach the world about the current water crisis which is enveloping the globe. This Wednesday Jay-Z will join the likes of Annan and Christina Norman, president of MTV, to announce a new joint venture.

It has been announced that the launch of the new initiative will take place at the UN buildings in New York. Campaigners are hoping that being able to attract big name stars to the project, such as Jay-Z, will help to give the scheme more resonance with young people all over the world.

MTV is already working to educate more people about the importance of water conservation and to explain the grave crisis facing many people who do not have access to regular supplies of water. Jay-Z is set to play an integral part of this campaign, as his experiences as he travels to some of the world's water-deprived areas will be documented on television.

It is understood that the Jay-Z documentary will be central to the new initiative to be launched later this week, but other schemes and plans will also be unveiled to enable more people to get involved and do their bit to help people less fortunate than themselves.

Jay-Z will be play a central role in promoting and developing MTV's programme of education, not only through the television series but also through other work. It is also hoped that Jay-Z will use his considerable influence in the hip hop world to get more stars on board in the campaign.

The rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is also president and chief executive of Def Jam Records, which boasts some of the biggest names in hip hop, from LL Cool J, through Ludacris, to rising star Rihanna. With so many huge stars on his record label, Jay-Z may well get some of them involved, which would give the UN and MTV scheme a huge boost.

According to a recent study by the UN, over 2.7 billion people around the globe will suffer water shortages by 2025 if the current rate of consumption continues unabated.