In honor of World Water Day this week, we’ve put together a few resources to help guide decisions around water habits. Water – a building block of life, energy, food and society, is as integral to us as it is to this planet. Human beings depend on this valuable resource for everything from hydration to cleanliness to powering our homes and communities. Without it, we simply would not exist! Yet so many individuals around the world live in drought and do not have access to clean water sources. Those of us who do have water at the turn of a switch should be making a concerted effort to live in harmony with the water resources we have available, be mindful of our consumption and value the important role that water plays in our life. The resources below are effective in helping us educate ourselves and others about our water consumption habits.
Water – A Source of Life
World Food System Center at ETH Zurich, a public university in Switzerland, developed a 12-minute video on the role of water as the source of life. Developed in 2015, the video aims to answer important questions about our relationship with water – what is the source of water on earth; the risks associated with earthquakes in alpine glaciers; and how can we assure clean water supplies in megacities and developing countries?
World Water Day 2021 Toolkit
World Water Day, each year on March 22, is a United Nations (UN) Initiative that aims to educate, celebrate, and inspire action around water. The World Water Day website, provided by the UN, hosts valuable resources including the World Water Day 2021 Toolkit, a 4-page document that provides facts and guidance around the necessity of water management and preservation, as well as the history of World Water Day. The Toolkit comes in a variety of languages and this year’s theme – valuing water – is expanded upon in detail. The toolkit not only provides valuable information for individuals but is a document that can easily be shared with friends and family to teach them about the importance of water resource management.
Calculating Your Water Footprint
It can be difficult to conceptualize the variety of ways that water is integrated with a person’s lifestyle. The Water Footprint® Calculator helps individuals calculate how much water they use through food consumption, usage around the house, usage outdoors, energy consumption, other purchases, and the climate/environment. The website also provides education around the various ways that we use water in our daily lives and tips on how to reduce our water usage. Some of these tips include changing our diets and purchasing habits, with helpful guidance on what to buy, and simple lifestyle changes that can effectively reduce our water waste.
Valuing Water
As sure as the sun will rise, human beings will continue to depend on clean, running water – a resource that is less than 1% of all available water on earth – to continue living and prospering. Lets all do our part in acknowledging and preserving this important resource.