How Children Can Be Taught about Water Scarcity, Resources, and Conservation - Research Paper Example

How Children can be taught about Water Scar Resources and Conservation Introduction Water scar resource management, and conservation has become one of the major problems in the world systems. In order to teach about water scarcity, civil unions, political systems and non-political systems have come up with various programs aimed at creating awareness about water scarcity, resource management and conservation. One of the objectives politically of teaching about water scarcity is to pursue teaching that crosses all the disciplinary boundaries. Water is preferably and perhaps one of the ideal mediums for an open-mindedness teaching and exploration. Topics related to water to some degree transcend about all the fields of studies in the current contemporary world. Topics about water transcend study fields such as human health, sociology, sciences, history, philosophy, and arts. In the field of political science, the students and faculty alike can ultimately benefit from using water as a subject for cross-discipline collaboration. Water scarcity as a resource has affected various parts of the world such as some parts of the Middle East, Far East, and Africa. Water education in these areas is, therefore, important in the conservation of this scarce resource. Example of major programs involved in water scarcity, resource and conservation involves the analysis of wash programs, construction of water reservoirs and overall teaching of the perfect maintenance scheme of the natural water sources such as lakes and rivers. This research primarily describes how students can be taught about water scarcity, resources and conservation. About Non-Salt Waters Non-salt waters include lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds among others. The clean water acquired from the non-salt water salt sources save lives thus the main aim of every socio-political and economic field is to conserve these sources wholesomely. The sustainability measures involved in the conservation of non-salt water sources is solely to ensure the existence of these sources even in the future generations. Environmental issues relating to water scarcity are some of the worst calamities world system tries to avoid. Environmental concerns like deforestation, climate change, soil erosion, decreasing biodiversity and water scarcity go hand in hand with the intersubjective scope of resources conservation. As declared in the United Nation’s charters, it is our global responsibility “to improve and promote harmony with nature and the Earth” (Zetland, 2011). The United Nation’s promotion of harmony nonetheless can only be achieved through an enlightenment process of the better ways to improve the sustainability of the naturally available resources. United Nations believe that in order to achieve a balance between the social, economic and environmental needs of the future generations of humanity, an educational system pertaining sustainability of the scares resources such as lakes must be heavily invested on. As per international systems theory, teaching about water scarcity is in the broader domain of the political systems and the governments of the day. This is because of the health concerns related to water as a basic need of life. Per se, if a political system fails to teach about water conservation, there would be negative impacts to the populace in relation to the lack of water in one way or the other. Firstly, when defining politics, we refer to it as the authoritative allocation of resources. In order for the resources such as water to be authoritatively allocated, then there must be educational practices to the general territorial populations regarding how water can be conserved for the future use and sustainability (Herr & American Civil Engineers, 2009). Concisely, children can be taught about water sustainability, resources and conservation in a school curriculum based manner or on a civic education basis. These are the only major ways of teaching about water scarcity, resources management and conservation, which would reach a larger population in the societies. Where Teaching about Water Fit Into the Curriculum The subject of water can fit into various types of courses and activities. Additionally, there are many pathways to introduce water and sustainability subject into a wide range of contexts. The first pathway of introducing the water and sustainability theme to the children is through the regional focus, physical geology, cultural context, seasonal availability of water sources and influence on societal organizations. The second strategy brings in the notion of water being more than just other ordinary resources. Our human relation to water, water as a topic that ties very many things together example political systems, reductive views of water, socio-political realities, cultural systems, and natural water systems-diverting the teaching attention on human controlled management (Clayton, 2012). Philosophical discussions are also important in the teaching of water scarcity, resources and conservation. The third approach of water education touches on water scarcity. Water scarcity topic touches on the correction of the thinking that water is a closed system. Water is actually a dynamic system with its sources passing into different parts of the globe and earth system. Lastly, water management is another vital topic while teaching about water scarcity, resources and conservation. Water-metro designs and urbanization concepts should be included in this objective of teaching about water scarcity. In the educational system of water scarcity, resources and conservation, the UN latest Millennium Development Goals has given the following results regarding the need to stress on these education system: Biodiversity as per the United Nation’s findings is on the decline and nearly 17,000 flora and fauna species are currently threatened with the extinction. Plants and animals play a significant role in the water Carbon cycle, which is the inner core of water catchment process. Secondly, the global carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) have increased to about 30 billion metric tons per year. This represents a 35 percent increment since the year 1990. Lastly, due to poor water conservation, an increased effort to combat the rising food prices requirements has tripped on the already strained improved water sources (Workman, 2009). Additionally, it has been realized that one water source serves at most eight out of ten people and in rural area still lack basic access to freshwater. The inadequacy of the accessibility of freshwater should, therefore, be solved with the overall dealing with these effects of environmental concerns. These environmental concerns deal with the people who live in conditions of hunger and poverty in the developing world that are the greatest risk. The ways involved in water conservation involves recycling, re-using water, construction of freshwater reservoirs, collection of rainwater and storage of rainwater. Additionally, closing of the taps, which are not in use, mending of leaking taps and forestry conservation at large (afforestation and reforestation). Recycling of water as a measure of conserving fresh water involves the use of industrial plants to purify the water that has already been used, water recycling gives room for a sustainably conservative means of keeping water for future use. Re-using water is also another attribute of fresh water conservation. Knowledge of recycling water ensures the already used water can be given other uses. The recycling of water is a modal way of conserving other water resources for future use. Construction of water reservoirs such as dams and water pans in the current situation of water at a mid-200 level can also store water for future use (Zetland, 2011). Water reservoirs have acquired a conglomerate use such as electrical power generation, which is also an ideal aspect of fresh water scarcity resource conservation. Educationally, facilitating reforestation and tree planting campaigns also reduces the chances of water becoming scarce (Clayton, 2012). Trees are water the catchment phenomenon in the environment. Planting of trees in areas where trees are non-existent and adding trees to the forested areas would improve the water catchment intensity of the environment thus making water be available in abundance. Summary Statistically, only 1% of water resource available on the planet Earth is available for human consumption. 70% of the earth’s surface, on the other hand, is covered by water, 97.5% of this water is saline. Only 2.5% of the earth’s surface water is fresh. Of 2.5% of fresh water, about 68.7% is frozen in either ice caps or glacier. When it comes to water conservation, learning about the value of water in the world systems is the first step towards solving the world water crisis. Put differently, up to 30% of fresh water supplies are lost due to leakage in the developed countries. In major cities, for example, water loss can run as high as 40-70%. Lastly, water conservation should always target pollution mitigation in the water sources. This is because 70% of industrial wastes and 90% of sewage in the developing countries are discharged into watercourses such as lakes and rivers without treatment thus polluting these water sources. References Clayton, S. D. (2012). The Oxford handbook of environmental and conservation psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. Herr, L. A., Conference on Water Conservation--Needs and Implementing Strategies & American Society of Civil Engineers. (2009). Proceedings of the Conference on Water Conservation Needs and Implementing Strategies, Franklin Pierce College, Rindge. New Hampshire. New York: American Society of Civil Engineers. Workman, J. G. (2009). Heart of dryness: How the last Bushmen can help us endure the coming age of permanent drought. New York: Walker & Co. Zetland, D. (2011). The end of abundance: Economic solutions to water scarcity. 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