World Water Day 2024

Today is World Water Day, the 22 March highlights the importance of freshwater. The day is used to promote the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This years theme of World Water Day 2024 is ‘Water for Peace’.

Water is essential for all life and is the most abundant substance on Earth, yet water scarcity is one of the biggest issues facing us today. Australia is the world’s driest inhabited continent and 2019 was on of the the hottest and driest year on record. Because of many years of dry conditions, the drought worsened in 2019, resulting in Australia’s driest year on record. With area-average rainfall of just 277.6 mm almost the entire continent was in drought.

However in many part of the world, Water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal, or no access, tensions can rise between communities and countries. More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, only 24 countries have cooperation agreements for all their shared water.

As climate change impacts increase, and populations grow, there is an urgent need, within and between countries, to unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource. Public health and prosperity, food and energy systems, economic productivity and environmental integrity all rely on a well-functioning and equitably managed water cycle.

Find out more with UN Water

Even through water covers 75% of the earth’s surface, only a very small amount is freshwater that can be used directly by people, animals and plants. This is because:

97% of this water is in oceans and is too salty for people, animals or plants to use
2% is frozen at the north and south poles, in glaciers and on snowy mountain ranges
Only 1% is avaiable as freshwater in rivers, lakes and groundwater.

Earths water vector illustration. Labeled global liquids ecosystem scheme. Environmental fresh — Earths water: ocean, river, sea and groundwater ©: normaals

Water is a precious resources and it is up to us to care and manage water for the future.

This World Water Day think of how you can use water more wisely in your daily life. Below is some information to help you get started.

How to be Waterwise

The Urban Water Cycle

The natural water cycle has been modified by people to ensure a constant water supply and the safe disposal of wastewater. The Urban Water Cycle incorporates the Water Supply System, Wastewater system and the Stormwater system.

Why is Water Important

Water is the most common substance found on earth, so why is it important? Water is essential for all forms of life and can dissolve nearly anything. It can exist as a gas (water vapour and steam), a liquid (water) and a solid (ice).

October 5, 2022October 5, 2022

World Rivers Day

World Rivers Day is a celebration of the World’s Waterways!

It highlights the many values of our rivers, strives to increase public awareness, and encourages the improved stewardship of all rivers around the world. Rivers in virtually every country face an array of threats, and only through our active involvement can we ensure their health in the years ahead.

Australia has 439 rivers, many of these rivers are quite small and are tributaries that flow into larger rivers.

A river is a natural watercourse flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of water.

A meandering stream has a single channel that winds snakelike through its valley. As water flows around these curves, the outer edge of water is moving faster than the inner.

Find out more about rivers

What are Rivers

March 22, 2022March 22, 2023

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day, the 22 March highlights the importance of freshwater. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This years theme is “Groundwater – making the invisible visible” and explores the importance of groundwater.

Water covers 75% of the earth’s surface, however only a very small amount is freshwater that can be used directly by people, animals and plants because:

97% of this water is in oceans and is too salty for people, animals or plants to use
2% is frozen at the north and south poles, in glaciers and on snowy mountain ranges
Only 1% is avaiable as freshwater in rivers, lakes and groundwater.

Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere. Our drinking water and sanitation, our food supply and natural environment–all these rely on groundwater.

Groundwater is critically important to the healthy functioning of ecosystems, such as wetlands. In deltas and coastal areas, groundwater also ensures the stability of the ground and prevents seawater intrusion under the land.

Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere.

Under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives.

Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater.

As climate change gets worse, groundwater will become more and more critical.

We need to work together to sustainably manage this precious resource.

Groundwater may be out of sight, but it must not be out of mind.

Australian Environmental Education resources

How to be Waterwise

The Urban Water Cycle

Why is Water Important

June 1, 2021June 11, 2023

World Oceans Day

The more we learn about oceans and the marine environment, the more we can do to understand these link and protect the incredible diversity of species and habitats.

Education Resources

Oceans contain the greatest diversity of life on Earth. Habitats range from the freezing polar regions to the warm waters of the coral reefs, deep sea hydrothermal vents to shallow seagrass beds and beautiful sponge gardens to giant kelp forests, marine organisms are found everywhere.

Diving Stories

Marine resources

Infographic on microplastics in the oceans

Caring for our Oceans

Australia is home to the over 10,000 beaches and no part of Australia is more than 1,000km from the ocean. Our coasts are impacted by our actions on land. Rubbish and microplastics can be found washed up on almost every Australian beach.

dead turtle entangled in fishing nets on the oceans — Copyright: Maxim Blinkov

Plastic and rubbish washed up on the shore from oceans — Copyright: Maxim Blinkov

Pollution and rubbish get washed into our rivers and waterways with stormwater runoff and end up on our coasts and oceans. Over 75% of this rubbish is plastic. Plastics in the environment can take hundreds of years to break down, thereby impacting marine species for generations.

I created the Caring for our Oceans activities for the Landcare Learning Centre. These are great activities to do with your students.

Beach Survey

Beach Clean up

Remember everything we do on land has impacts on the marine environment. Follow the journey of water down the river through the catchment to the sea with the Story of a River.

March 21, 2021April 7, 2024

Where does the rain go?

If you are on the east coast of Australia at the moment you have probably noticed that there has been a lot of rain. The high volume of rain is inundated catchments across the New South Wales resulting in repeated major flooding.

Multiple heavy rain events lead to super saturated soils and result in swollen river systems. There isn’t enough time for the water to flow away before more rain arrives. The ground is already saturated and can’t absorb more water resulting in increased runoff.

In many cities and towns this is made worse by hard surfaces; like roads, gutters, pathways and concrete drains. These hard surfaces make efficient channels directing the water into already flooded systems.

Typical Catchment

Catchments have water flowing into creeks and rivers and eventually to the sea. Floods in coastal systems are also impacted by the tides. A flood peak coinciding with the high tide will have greater impacts on low lying areas.

Why floods are so deep and dangerous in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley. Learn how the ‘bathtub effect’ makes this valley have one of the greatest flood risks in Australia.

The extent and depth of flooding is influenced by the unique ‘Bathtub Effect’ of the floodplain causing floodwater to back-up. The ‘Bathtub Effect’ enables dangerous, damaging flooding of significant depth to occur.

Most river valleys tend to widen as they approach the sea. The opposite is the case in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley. The river narrow downstream at sandstone gorges between Sackville and Brooklyn create natural choke points. Floodwaters back up and rise rapidly, causing deep and widespread flooding across the floodplain. Much like a bathtub with five taps turned on, but only one plug hole to let the water out.

Remember to stay safe

Flood Safety inforgraphic — Stay safe in a flood

October 16, 2020October 26, 2020

National Water Week 2020

The theme for National Water Week 2020 is Reimagining our Water Future. How can you reimagine the way you use and reuse water to ensure there’s enough of it in the future? Use these resources from Australian Environmental Education and beyond to rethink your current water practices. Remember what you do as an individual and as a communities can make a difference; every drop counts.

Even though water is the most common substance found on earth, less than 1% is available as freshwater. We need to conserve and protect freshwater resources, consider your use of Water.

Education resources

Every drop counts, being water wise

The Every Drop Counts learning activity explores the many ways that water is used, how you can reduce your water usage and reuse water.

How to Be Waterwise

Water is essential for all life and is the most abundant substance on Earth, yet water scarcity is one of the biggest issues facing us today. Australia is the world’s driest inhabited continent and has the lowest rainfall and the lowest water runoff. Most water is Australia is used in Agriculture reducing environmental flows.

You can be part of the solution by looking at your water usage and exploring way that you can be more Waterwise.

The Urban Water Cycle

Why is Water Important

Australian Water Association

The AWA has extensive list of educational resources that explore all the different aspects of water including the water cycle, the sustainability goals, Indigenous water knowledge, how to save water, caring for our catchments, and general water education.