MAKING DRINKABLE WATER

Watch the videos above. Do we take for granted the conveniences we have in Ireland?

“Many children — mostly girls — spend hours every day collecting water and miss out on the opportunity to attend school. Globally, women and children spend around 200 million hours every day, collecting water. But the issue is not just lack of access to water; lack of access to basic toilets, and gender segregated toilets, in schools cause a multitude of issues. Adolescent girls are particularly affected by this, as they need a clean and private space to be able to manage their menstrual hygiene with privacy and dignity.”

Discussion

• 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources since 1990, but 663 million people are still without

• At least 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking water that is fecally contaminated

• Between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the global population using an improved drinking water source has increased from 76 per cent to 91 per cent

• But water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of the global population and is projected to rise. Over 1.7 billion people are currently living in river basins where water use exceeds recharge

• 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines

• More than 80 per cent of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or sea without any pollution removal

• Each day,nearly 1,000 children die due to preventable water and sanitation-related  diarrhoeal diseases

• Hydropower is the most important and widely-used renewable source of energy and as of 2011, represented 16 per cent of total electricity production worldwide

• Approximately 70 per cent of all water abstracted from rivers, lakes and aquifers is used for irrigation

• Floods and other water-related disasters account for 70 per cent of all deaths related to natural disasters

Homework-

Coke bought largest clean water resource in south america. Clean water in industry. Irish context of water privatization-- Is access to water a right?

Watch the videos above. Do we take for granted the conveniences we have in Ireland?

“Many children — mostly girls — spend hours every day collecting water and miss out on the opportunity to attend school. Globally, women and children spend around 200 million hours every day, collecting water. But the issue is not just lack of access to water; lack of access to basic toilets, and gender segregated toilets, in schools cause a multitude of issues. Adolescent girls are particularly affected by this, as they need a clean and private space to be able to manage their menstrual hygiene with privacy and dignity.”

Discussion

• 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources since 1990, but 663 million people are still without

• At least 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking water that is fecally contaminated

• Between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the global population using an improved drinking water source has increased from 76 per cent to 91 per cent

• But water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of the global population and is projected to rise. Over 1.7 billion people are currently living in river basins where water use exceeds recharge

• 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines

• More than 80 per cent of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or sea without any pollution removal

• Each day,nearly 1,000 children die due to preventable water and sanitation-related  diarrhoeal diseases

• Hydropower is the most important and widely-used renewable source of energy and as of 2011, represented 16 per cent of total electricity production worldwide

• Approximately 70 per cent of all water abstracted from rivers, lakes and aquifers is used for irrigation

• Floods and other water-related disasters account for 70 per cent of all deaths related to natural disasters

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Homework

Privatization of water has been an increasingly common practice. Have students research a privatization of a water source. Example: Research Coca-cola recent acquisition of the largest clean water source in South America. 

Have a debate surrounding the students findings. Should privatization of water be allowed? How about the the Irish context of water privatization-- Is access to water a right?

THE STRAIN OF THE GLOBAL WATER SUPPLY

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Group Work: Divide the class into small groups providing them with a blank map of the world including the countries names. using 4 the following colors: pale yellow, yellow, orange, red and dark red. ( these colors can be altered). Starting with pale yellow has less stressful working up to red dark which is the most water stressed countries.Once completed get the students to compare their maps and answers among the other groups. Finally handout the map provided below to see if the students maps were similar. once again discuss these answers among the class. Either individual or a class discussion answer the following questions 

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1. Were your answers similar to the provided map?

2. Was there any country/countries that surprised you?

3. Was your ranking of Ireland's water strain correct?

4. Do you now understand the strain of the water supply around the world?

5. Did you notice any prejudice during this activity? 

6.  Do you have any solutions to help create a sustainable water supply for future generations?

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Wash and Health

Over 800 children under five die every day due to lack of proper access to clean water and sanitation, making it the leading cause of death in this age group. Diseases transferred through unclean water and unhygienic practices directly affects child survival, growth and development.

1 in 4 children worldwide have irreversible cognitive and physical damage related to unsanitary living conditions that lead to undernutrition, diarrhea or intestinal worm infections. Sanitary- related diseases and infections including cholera, malaria, trachoma, schistosomiasis, worm infestations and guinea worm disease, are disproportionately affecting children.

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Wash and Education

Many schools, especially those in the developing world, do not have proper access and facilities to water and sanitation for children. The effects of schools not having these resources negatively impacts students. With the physical and cognitive effects of diseases carried through dirty water and lack of sanitation, also impacts the proper access to education.

Put up these posters in your class room to spread awareness!

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• WASH in Schools improves health: Poster PDF

• WASH in Schools boosts attendance and achievement : Poster PDF

• WASH in Schools promotes gender equality: Poster PDF

• WASH in Schools reaches communities: Poster PDF

• Take action now! : Poster PDF

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Connect With WASH:

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Stay in touch with the UNICEF WASH team with UNICEF Water Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.