Happy International World Water Day! I have to admit, this one is totally new to me, even though this day has been celebrated for the last 10 years. I love the idea of World Water Day, and the theme this year is "cooperation". In Toronto we live in a city sitting on the northern side of Lake Ontario. Sometimes it's easy to forget that their is an entirely different country living on the southern side of Lake Ontario. We are incredibly fortunate that we live in cooperation with our southern neighbours. Imagine a time when our countries might be fighting over our beautiful lake....it's unimaginable. Yet, in communities around the globe these conflicts exist. One body of water and so many, many people within arms reach. Can any one country "own" a body of water that flows through a continent? These are the issues being addressed and discussed with World Water Day this year. Now, how can I make this day significant for my children?
This weekend we will be trying a water scarcity activity in our house. We are fortunate that we have a seemingly endless supply of clean, drinking water right in our kitchen. However, many children in the world have to walk miles to collect a gallon of clean water. This weekend we will try and simulate this "walk" in our home.
The kitchen sink's faucet will be off limits. If over the course of the weekend we need to drink, clean with or eat with water then we will have to walk upstairs to the bathroom and collect the water from there and bring it down to the kitchen.
Yes, these are only a few extra steps. Yes, these steps are done within the comfort of our own home. Yet, I think that this one simple activity will open my children's eyes and I hope that it will open a conversation. I'll be sure to let you know how things go this weekend. Would you be willing to give this activity a try? If you do, please let me know how it goes. You can leave a comment here or on my Facebook page. I would love to hear what happens in your house.
After reading about International World Water day I came across a link to the trailer for the movie "Last Call at the Oasis". This is a documentary about the scarcity of water and the impact of urban development on the availability of water in the United States. Have a look at the trailer, see what you think. Are we on the cusp of a water shortage? Is there any way to help stop the impending water shortage? How accessible is water where you live?
Shannon says
When I saw this on Pinterest I actually clicked on it to see what you planned to drink all day but I love the idea of walking to get water, even if it is just from the other room. We had to do it during the winter for a couple days when the kitchen pipes froze and even though it is just a minor inconvenience it really opens up your eyes to how much we take it for granted. What a great challenge!