Let's talk about freshwater

There has been a lot of news this summer about state of freshwater in the UK, from Thames Water lowdown, through droughts in the Lake District's River Derwent, to delays in national water health assessments. We also imagine a lot of you ended up bathing in the beautiful British lakes and rivers this holiday - we definitely did!

This is why our Education team thought it would be a good idea to share some freshwater facts with you and learn about the importance of our precious resources in order to appreciate and protect them, and in case the freshwater discussion comes up in your class (and we really hope it will!).

1. Freshwater describes any naturally occurring water or frozen water containing low concentrations of salts. We can find it all around our Planet, in glaciers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands and even groundwater but we don't have that much of it. Of all the water on Earth, only 3% is fresh water and in fact only half per cent of all water on Earth is useable and available. A great way to teach children about how much useable water there is on Earth, try A Drop in a Bucket lesson.

2. The ecological crisis is dangerously affecting the already limited supply of freshwater. Climate change exacerbates frequent floods and droughts as well as many forms of water pollution from sediments to pathogens and pesticides, which are a result of large quantities of harmful discharges released by industrial agriculture and other industries.

3. When we talk about freshwater resources, we need to remember about the whole ecosystems around it, rather than just the H2O liquid. Anything from the water bed, to river banks, to flora surrounding it, to creatures living inside as well as outside it is crucial to the quality and accessibility of freshwater.

4. We can protect our precious freshwater ecosystems by improving water infrastructure, implementing nature-based solutions as well as remembering about conservative and efficient water usage. Any action will matter, from turning the tap off while brushing our teeth, to collecting rainwater to water our gardens, to encouraging local government to invest in nature-friendly solutions to improve drinking water quality (see how New York City improved demand and supply of their water water and saved money (!) by investing in protective infrastructure and nature protection).

5. In many languages, people call 'fresh' water 'sweet', as opposed to 'salty' water. This can lead to confusion when talking to people whose native language isn't English. It is worth acknowledging with your pupils so that they can bring the discussion home where English isn't the main language. And for those who had a chance to try it, wouldn't you agree that a mountain stream water is indeed pretty sweet?

6. Did you know that Earthwatch Europe has been running a freshwater programme for 10 years now? Freshwater Watch is a global citizen science project where groups all across the globe can easily monitor and protect the health of the rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, wetlands and reservoirs upon which we all depend. See how you can get involved today at Get involved | FreshWater Watch.