WATER FOR A

SUSTAINABLE WORLD
LEARNING MATERIAL FOR SCHOOLS
WORLD WATER DAY 2015

OUTLINE OF TRAINING MATERIAL

1. Introduction
2. Significance of 2015 World Water
Day
3. Water connects and enables
4. The water future we want
5. Conclusion

1. INTRODUCTION

Water is linked to
the development of
all societies and
cultures
Water flows through
the three
dimensions of
sustainable
development:
Economic
Social

1. INTRODUCTION

Water is key in
achieving:

Poverty reduction
Inclusive growth
Public health
Food security
Lives of dignity for all
Long-lasting harmony
with Earths essential
ecosystems

5th Global Prize Winner

Khushneet Bhatia 10 Years, India
UNEP, 21st International Children's
Painting Competition Photo Gallery

1. INTRODUCTION
Global water demand is influenced by:

Population growth
Urbanization
Industrialization
Food and energy security policies
Macro-economic processes such as trade globalization
Changing diets and increasing consumption

The competition for water between water uses

and water users increases the risk of conflicts

1. INTRODUCTION

Total renewable
water resources per
capita per year,
2013

2. 2015 A UNIQUE YEAR

World Water Day 2015
focuses attention on the
importance of water, whilst
advocating for sustainable
development
Deadline for the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs)
Defining and adopting new
global Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)
Setting an aspirational and a
realistic vision of water
towards 2050

3. WATER CONNECTS AND ENABLES

Water is essential,
finite and vulnerable
Water is a driver for
development and
enables:

Health
Nature
Urbanization
Industry
Energy
Food

3. WATER IS HEALTH
Do you know?
Your body is made of 50-65% water
You can last weeks without food, but only
days without water
World Health Organization (WHO)
recommends a minimum of 7.5 liters per
person per day
Regular hand-washing is the most effective
way for removing and preventing the
spread of germs which cause disease
Out of 7.2 billion people in the world
748 million do not have access to an improved
source of drinking water
2.5 billion do not use an improved sanitation
facility

3. WATER IS NATURE
Ecosystems forests, wetlands, lakes,
rivers, aquifers, coastal zones and
grassland lie at the heart of the
global water cycle
Unsustainable water abstractions and
pollution degrades and weakens the
capacity of an ecosystem to provide
water-related services
Ecosystem-based management often
neglected is key in ensuring water
long term sustainability
Investment in protecting and restoring
natural ecosystems is critical

3. WATER IS URBANIZATION

3. 9 billion or 54% of people on the

planet now live in cities, with 30% of all
city dwellers residing in slums. There
are challenges exacerbated by climate
change and water related disasters:
Although MDG target on access to safe
drinking water was met in 2010,
progress has not matched the rapid pace
of urbanization
The situation is grim with regard to
sanitation
90% of all wastewater in developing
countries is discharged untreated
directly into rivers, lakes or the oceans,
causing major environmental and health
risks

3. WATER IS INDUSTRY

Some industries are more water-intense than

others e.g.
10 liters of water are used to make one
sheet of paper
91 liters are used to make 500 grams of
plastic

Global water demand for manufacturing is

expected to increase by 400% from 2000 to
2050 (mostly in developing countries), which
is much larger than other sectors
Technology and smart planning, can reduce
the use of water, and improve the quality of
wastewater

3. WATER IS ENERGY

Water and energy are natural partners

Water is required to generate energy
Energy is required to deliver water

80% of power generation is by thermal electricity.

Water is heated to create steam to drive electrical
generators
Hydropower accounts for 16% of global electricity
production
Although renewable energy (from naturally
replenished sources like sunlight, wind, rain, tides,
waves and geothermal) requires less water it
remains marginal at global scale
Desalination still remains energy intensive
although in oil and gas rich Arab States dozens of
nuclear-powered plants are expected to go online
in the next two decades

3. WATER IS FOOD

Globally, almost 870 million people are chronically

undernourished
Agriculture is the largest user of water, accounting for
70% of total withdrawal
By 2050, agriculture will need to produce 60% more food
globally, and 100% more in developing countries to
achieve food security
Managing water demand in agriculture means increasing
agricultural productivity i.e. more crop per drop of water
Shifting diets from predominantly starch-based to meat
and dairy, will require more water
Producing 1 kilo of rice, for example, requires about
3,500 liters of water, while 1 kilo of beef some 15,000
liters

Increased intensive crop production can lead to:

Depletion of aquifers
Reduced river flows

3. WATER IS EQUALITY

Key principles for enhancing effective governance

include:

Participation
Accountability
Transparency
Equality and fairness
Efficiency and effectiveness
Rule of law

Powerless groups tend to be shut out of not just

access to water but also the processes whereby
allocation decisions are made
Potential inter-state and regional conflicts need to
be managed (158 of the worlds 263 transboundary water basins lack any type of
cooperative management framework)
Improved gender equality is a key to boosting
water management and access

3. ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate variability and change will

affect both sides of the freshwater
supply and demand balance (quantity
and quality) in several ways:
Change in quantity in space and time
(drought and floods)
Increased temperature hence higher
evaporation
Increased transpiration
Seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers
Oxygen depletion due to higher water
temperatures
Higher content of pollutants flowing into
water bodies
Impacts biodiversity and ecosystem

3. ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Responses to climate variability and

change will include:
Adaptive management
Strategies for low or no-regret solutions
Building resilient communities
Continuous learning

Knowledge generation for policy

formulation
Generating data and actionable
information to support scientific
knowledge
Exploration and support for new forms of
data collection and processing e.g. earth
observation, remote sensing and
geographic information systems, mobile
technology
Human and institutional capacity

4. THE WATER FUTURE WE WANT

3rd Global Prize Winner

Hock Kah Chang 15
Years, Malaysia
UNEP, 21st International
Children's Painting
Competition Photo
Gallery

4. THE WATER FUTURE WE WANT

The water future we want and

vision 2050 is shaped by the
Rio+20 Outcome Document, and
Post 2015 Agenda documents. The
following aspects are key:
Water and related resources are
managed in support of human wellbeing and ecosystem integrity
Sufficient and safe water is made
available to meet every persons
basic needs
Water infrastructure and service
delivery are financed
Wastewater is treated as a
resource (energy, nutrients and
freshwater for reuse)

4. THE WATER FUTURE WE WANT

Human settlements
develop in harmony with
the natural water cycle
Integrated approaches to
water resources
development,
management and use
are adopted
Water is governed in a
participatory way that
draws on the full
potential of women and
men
Water management
organizations are
knowledgeable and
transparent

5. CONCLUSION
In this lecture you have learnt the following:
How water permeates through the three dimensions of
sustainable development
Significance of World Water Day 2015
The thematic areas highlighting water as an essential,
finite, and vulnerable resources in relation to sustainable
development
Challenges of water as a driver in sustainable
development (including climate change)
Aspects of the water future we want

Congratulations you are now Water

Wise!!

Did you know that 80% of your brain

is water!
The follow up saying is use your

Do you want to learn more about water?

Visit www.cap-net.org
Empowering Individuals, Enabling
Environments