Water, Water, Everywhere?

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  • Lesson Activities
    • Introduction
    • Access to Clean Water: What Is the Problem?
    • Global Water Issues
    • Your Challenge
    • The Engineering Design Process
    • Phase 1 - Regional Information on Water Issues
    • Water Quality: Possible Solutions
    • Sample Water Purification Systems
    • Water Quality Resources
    • Phase 2 - Consider Constraints and Explore Possibilities
    • Select an Approach and Develop a Design Proposal
    • Make a Prototype and Test Your Design
    • Refine Your Design and Create Your Final System
    • Communicate Your Results
    • Phase 3 - Build Your Presentation
    • Final Presentation
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    • Table of Contents
    • Glossary
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    • More to Explore
    • Rubric for Design Proposal
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  • Glossary

Global Water Issues

illustration of a drop of water
Access to clean drinking water is a global issue.

If water is so important, why haven't world leaders made sure that everyone has access to clean water?

Explore the following reports and news articles to build your understanding of global water issues. As you explore, take notes in the chart on pages 2-3 of your Engineering Portfolio.

As you gather information, keep these questions in mind:

  • What are the obstacles and issues surrounding greater access to clean water?
  • What are the effects of inadequate access to clean water?

> United Nations Water Statistics opens in new window
(from UN Water)

> UNICEF—Water, Sanitation and Hygiene opens in new window
(from United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund)

> U.S. Intelligence Report Warns of Global Water Tensions (article) opens in new window
(from the New York Times)

> Water Pollution (article) opens in new window
(from the National Geographic)

> International Decade for Action ‘Water of Life’ 2005 – 2015 opens in new window
(from the United Nations)

> Millennium Development Goal drinking water target met (news release) opens in new window
(from the World Health Organization)

Additional Resources:

> Improved Water Source Data opens in new window
(from the World Bank)

Examine data from the World Bank that shed light on the inequity of clean water access. You may view the data in table, map or graph format by clicking each option on the page.

> The World’s Water opens in new window
(from the Pacific Institute)

This website has current data on water supply access and conflicts over water. Look at the interactive map and timeline.

Teacher Note

In this activity, students will conduct research on global access to clean water. Before the activity begins, have students turn to the chart on pages 2–3 of their Engineering Portfolios. This chart is designed to help students keep track of their research

Read More

Essential Questions

  • How prevalent is a lack of access to safe drinking water?
  • What factors hinder people's access to safe drinking water?
  • What are the effects of inadequate access to safe drinking water?
  • How does conflict arise from unequal access to safe drinking water?

More To Explore

How safe is your drinking water? Explore the topics from the USGS Water Science School. Learn about the physical, chemical, and biological factors that affect water quality.

> Water Quality opens in new window
(from the U.S. Geological Survey)

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