Could we run out of water before we run out of oil?

World Water Day is just around the corner – March 22nd.

Powerful messages abound regarding the impending socio-political, environmental and humanitarian disaster of the global water shortage. Watching the presentation and video above you will notice some startling, terrifying statistics. As a critical thinking or data-literacy task, can you track down the sources of those statistics?

What is 'Water Stress?'

With Earth Day (April 22) coming up, and the GIN conference around the same time, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the water shortage as an issue upon which we, as learners and leaders, can take action.This would in itself be a great topic for local and global CAS, or a self-contained theme for the Group 4 Project.

Find out more about the world water crisis here:

• World Water Day (March 22)
• Water crisis, from TreeHugger
• World Water Council
• The Water Crisis, from Water.org

Some resources to use:

• Tracking school water use, from NSW Sustainable Schools
• Water use calculator, from NSW Sustainable Schools
• Tracking water consumption, by the Social Justice Committee
• Lesson plans, from Water.org
• World Water Day lesson plans, from teacherplanet

Using the resources above, as well as other local orgnisations, can the school develop and monitor a sustainable water plan?

Here’s a cool video, with a good soundtrack, from charity:water

Do you have any more resources and ideas for the water crisis to share? Add them in the comments below!