Water in Crisis - Learn for Change

It doesn't have to be this way. There are various organisations dedicated to providing educational resources on water-related issues.  Learn about water and about how we can raise awareness to change this crisis - both global and here in Australia.

PlayPumps International has launched KnowH2O , a website designed for schools and community organizations to build student awareness of global water issues and how they can work to help address the world’s water crisis.  The site is centered around the actions of Learn, Teach, Play, Connect, and Act—and it contains teacher-tested tools and interactive resources such as online videos, water resource maps, web banners, and games.  These resources help students truly understand the impact and extent of the water crisis.  For example, check out the interactive “Water IQ” quiz to challenge your water knowledge, and check back in the upcoming weeks for several special tools that allow educators to share their experiences teaching students about water.

In addition, PlayPumps International partnered with the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) and a committee of dedicated teachers to develop the lesson plans featured in the Teach section of the website. The lessons plans are offered for grades K – 12 and use various subject areas to educate students on water issues. They are easily downloaded and we hope that you will share them with your friends.

Act provides links to social networking websites such as Razoo  (a new online network promoting social sustainability), Facebook and thinkMTV  and many other helpful and interesting resources. 

The site also features a creative fundraising tool for schools and individuals to "Sponsor a PlayPump" .You can build your own KnowH2O page with your own story, photos, set your own fundraising goals, and acknowledge your donors.

KnowH2O is a resource providing helpful information and numerous ways for people to act.  
Do you KnowH2O?  Find out at www.knowh2o.org!

Australia’s first online Water Education Resource Hub was launched to help celebrate National Water Week. The Department of Water and Energy launched the Hub on behalf on the NSW Government’s inter-agency Metro Water Education Group, which also includes the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Sydney Catchment Authority and Sydney Water.   Along with providing valuable resource for educators, the site provides helpful information on many water-related issues such as recycling, saving water, increasing supply, defence against drought, as well as information on local rivers and catchments.

“This new online resource is designed to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for everything to do with water education,” said the Department’s Director-General, Mr Mark Duffy.

“It will save water by bringing together a huge range of tools and resources that anyone can use to educate the community, their work colleagues or friends on why and how to save water."

Resources available include:

 “Research shows that around half of all Sydney-siders think that water is one of the most important issues facing our region today,” he said.

"Around 3.7 million people across Sydney have already taken action to save water in the past year, and more and more people are looking for ways to contribute to our water savings."

The new online Water Education Resource Hub is also a great place to start for anyone who wants information and advice on why and how to save water.

Mr Duffy said it was fitting that this innovative water education tool be launched at the start of National Water Week, which puts the spotlight on water conservation around Australia.  

“National Water Week is a fantastic initiative to raise awareness of the need to protect and conserve our precious water resources."

‘It’s an opportunity to showcase what communities, businesses, and governments are doing to improve the health our rivers, streams and aquifers, and save water," Mr Duffy said.