Module 8:
Water and Planet

Sustainable consumption and survival

BACKGROUND

All of the water on our planet is connected to all forms of life in one way or another, as we have experienced throughout this teaching and learning resource. Two-thirds of the world’s major rivers are shared by several countries. In the past 100 years, the world population has tripled, while demand for water has increased sevenfold. Since water is essential to every aspect of life, this water crisis affects everything – from health to human rights, the environment to the economy, poverty to politics, and culture to conflict. Just as water defies political boundaries, the crisis is also well beyond the scope of any individual country or sector and cannot be dealt with in isolation. 

“Swarovski Waterschool is like a torch lighting up the road to water conservation. I would like to say to all the kids on earth that we should save the water environment. If not, the last drop of water will be our tear” – Chen Siyu, 10, schoolgirl, province of Yunnan

Thematic concepts

Climate Change

The Earth is getting warmer because human activities are adding heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere, mainly through burning fossil fuels. Warmer temperatures are causing changes around the world, like glacial melting and stronger storms.

Sustainable Consumption

There is a growing concern that rapid population expansion and human activities have an impact on the Earth’s natural systems, causing damage to ecosystems that places human survival in danger.

Ecological Footprint

This is a measure of how fast we consume resources and generate waste compared to how fast nature can absorb our waste and regenerate ecosystems.

Activities

ACTIVITY 8.1
Water within and around us

Activity Time: 20 minutes Thematic Areas: Language Arts, Social Studies

ACTIVITY 8.2
Water and plastic

Activity Time: 60 minutes Thematic Areas: Environmental Education

ACTIVITY 8.3
Climate change intergenerational survey

Activity Time: 50 minutes Thematic Areas: Social Studies, Language Arts, Science

ACTIVITY 8.4
Water availability

Activity Time: 50 minutes Thematic Areas: Mathematics, Drama, Environmental Education