Water, Water, Everywhere?
World Water Day is on 22 March
by Brian Radcliffe
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To consider the importance of water.
Preparation and materials
- You will need a glass or jug of water.
- Jesus’ words about water in the ‘Time for reflection’ part of the assembly are found in John 4.14.
- Optional: for a detailed analysis of the Nile conflict mentioned in the ‘Assembly’, Step 3, see The Power of Geography by Tim Marshall.
Assembly
- Show the glass or jug of water.
Explain to the students that water is a resource that we can easily take for granted. However, it’s actually one of the most important elements in the world.
Ask what facts about water the students can offer.
Listen to a range of responses, or pause to allow discussion in groups. - Tell the students that you have a few facts about water of your own to share.
- Water covers about 70 per cent of the earth’s surface.
- The average adult human is about 60 per cent water.
- A jellyfish and a cucumber are each 95 per cent water.
- We can live for about a month without food, but only about a week without water.
- According to the World Bank, 2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water.
- Unsafe water kills hundreds of children every day. - Water is the root cause of much tension and conflict in the world. Water flows from its source to the point where it reaches the sea, sometimes travelling through many countries. The countries that are upriver have the power to control how much water flows downriver.
One example is Ethiopia, a mountainous country. Amid the mountains are the sources of several major rivers, none more important than the Blue Nile. Together with its twin, the White Nile, the river is relied on by Uganda, Burundi, Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania.
The river is a huge resource for Ethiopia, and its government has begun to build dams that harness the river’s potential for hydroelectric power. However, this has reduced the flow downstream, particularly for Egypt, which needs the water for agriculture. It has become a cause of disagreement and conflict. - Every year on 22 March, the United Nations’ World Water Day is held. This year, the focus is on encouraging communities and countries to share water fairly.
We don’t live in a country like Ethiopia where water is a serious cause of conflict, but it can still be a source of tension in the UK. For example, flooding is an increasing issue for many riverside communities in this country. Conversely, drought and water restrictions have affected areas of the UK during summertime. Climate change has exacerbated both situations. Maybe we need to change our attitude to water to help equalize the distribution in the UK.
Time for reflection
So, what can we do? Do we have a responsibility to use water considerately? Jesus uses water as a symbol for how we can become resources for our own communities. He explains that, if we take him as our inspiration, we will be like a fountain of fresh water bubbling up for the benefit of those around us. Each of us will have different sources of inspiration, but the responsibility to be aware of others’ needs is still the same.
So, again, what can we do? Each of us uses about 150 litres of water each day. Treating that water uses energy. Reducing our consumption would affect our carbon footprint, and place less pressure on water infrastructure, the pipes and tubes that one day will need replacing. Due to climate change and population growth, we will need to reduce our consumption in the future because resources will be stretched, so it’s a good idea to start now. Reducing our consumption would benefit wildlife too because less water would need to be extracted from rivers and lakes. So, how can we go about it?
You may wish to take suggestions from students.
Let’s consider the following questions.
- Do we prefer a shower or a bath? A short shower uses far less water than a long soak in the bath.
- When we brush our teeth, do we leave the water running? Turning off the tap while we are brushing makes a difference!
- Have you seen any dripping taps? Look out for them and tighten the tap, or ask someone to fix it if the drip persists.
Other things that we can do include filling a kettle, glass or mug with only as much water as we need at that time and watering plants with washing-up water.
Let’s put these ideas into practice on World Water Day.
Extension activity
- Set students the task of reviewing water usage within the school. Ask them to count how many dripping taps they see, how much water is left in glasses after lunchtime and any other examples of water usage during the school day. Tell them to report back to their tutors at the end of the day.
