Water, water, everywhere*

Introduction

A shortage of clean water is one of the most serious challenges facing the world. People in rich countries use 10 times more water than those in poor countries.

The world cannot increase its supply of fresh water: all it can do is change the way it uses it. Water is not running out: it is simply that there are steadily more of us to share it.

Even though you don't live in a water-scarce region how do you think this most precious of resources should be managed?

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Look!

Here are 2 photographs illustrating what the challenges facing the world are

and a fill-in-the-gap exercise for you to collect some key words.

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How water-wise are you?

How about a quiz to check how much you know about our most precious resource? Then you may wish to collect the answers with some comments.

Find out how much water your household uses in a day.

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A dry continent

Australia is the world's driest continent. So how do people cope with scarce water to use?

Listen to some words related to water scarcity and to a news report using this worksheet

Watch this tv report about water restrictions in Melbourne using this worksheet

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Going short for water

At the Johannesburg earth summit in 2002, countries agreed to work towards halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015. But there are few signs that governments will meet their targets. Find out more ...

So it's time to have a look at some of the causes of water shortage. Here is an exercise for you to list them. Then you will be able to collect them from this document.

Have a look at 50 ways to save water and choose 5 of them from this document.

Before moving on to the final part check with this crossword some of the words you have learnt.

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In the Third World, where water shortages are most acute, what role should multinationals play in the provision of water? Choose one of the two roles and use this worksheet to argue your case.

You believe that it is up to the private sector to make the necessary investment to half the number of people without access to safe drinking water or proper sanitation by 2015. The poor already pay more than the rich for water in many countries because the state has failed them.

You believe that water is a common resource that everyone on this planet should have access to freely. It is in the public interest for everyone to have access to water and it is better if the state provides water on the basis of need.

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A scenario designed by Jean-Marc Gébelin

Last updated in April, 2005. 

* "Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink

Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink"

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner