World Water Monitoring Day, Earth Echo International, the Water Foundation

WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY 

And as reported by The Climate Daily a year ago, this coming Sunday, September 18th is World Water Monitoring Day 

(Not to be confused with World Water Day, March 22nd annually). 

World Water Monitoring Day was an international day established in 2003 by America’s Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a global educational outreach program. The program, subsequently named the “World Water Monitoring Challenge” and “EarthEcho Water Challenge,” aims to build public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by empowering citizens to carry out basic monitoring of their local water bodies.[1] Roberta (Robbi) Savage, ACWF’s President and CEO created WWMD, and Edward Moyer was the first WWMD Coordinator.

A simple test kit enables everyone, children and adults, to sample local water bodies for a set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Information on purchasing low-cost test kits is available from the current sponsoring organization, EarthEcho International, and the results of monitoring events are then shared with participating communities around the globe on the sponsor’s website.[1]

World Water Monitoring Day was originally celebrated annually on September 18. This date was initially chosen to be a month later (October 18) to recognize the anniversary of the US Clean Water Act, which was enacted by Congress in 1972 to restore and protect the country’s water resources. In 2007, the date was changed to facilitate participation in parts of the world where temperatures reach freezing conditions at that time.

In 2006, ACWF transferred the coordination of the event to the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the International Water Association (IWA). The collective goal was to expand participation to one million people in 100 countries by 2012. In January 2015 the management of World Water Monitoring Day was transferred to EarthEcho International.

2008 saw students from Indonesia[2] to Arkansas[3] taking part in water sampling to bring attention to the importance of water quality.

As of 2018, EarthEcho International encourages participants to conduct their monitoring activities as part of the “EarthEcho Water Challenge” during any period between March 22 (World Water Day) and December of each year.[1]

DEEPER DIVE: Wikipedia, Clean Water Foundation, Earth Echo

EARTH ECHO INTERNATIONAL

The mission of Earth Echo International is to build “a global youth movement to protect and restore our ocean planet.”

EarthEcho International is a nonprofit 501c3 organization founded in 2005 by siblings Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau in honor of their father Philippe Cousteau Sr., son of the legendary explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

EarthEcho collaborates with youth around the world to provide knowledge and develop tools that drive meaningful environmental action to protect and restore our ocean planet. Reaching more than 2 million people in 146 countries, it looks to the next generation to become environmental leaders who will transform the future.

Its core programs are designed as a path of action for youth to become leaders and change the world – with focus on the following areas:

• Fostering Youth Leadership

• Mobilizing Communities

• Educating Students and Training Teachers

What I love are its educator resources. They’re a collection of videos, lesson plans, and other materials designed to support high-quality classroom experiences. They are unique tools to assist educators as they equip young people to explore and protect their local natural resources. Many of the resources are designed to satisfy Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. 

Visit earthecho.org/educator-resources or click on the link in the deeper dive section of this story at theclimate.org/episodes to find out more. Why does EarthEcho matter to us? Its emphasis on youth, its educator resources and of course, the EarthEcho Water Challenge!

The EarthEcho Water Challenge (formerly World Water Monitoring Challenge) is an international program that runs annually from March 22 (United Nations World Water Day) through December and equips anyone to protect the water resources we depend on every day.

The EarthEcho Water Challenge builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local waterbodies. This year from September 20th-22nd, EarthEcho and Xylem will host Monitoring Water Together, three free virtual events for classrooms.

DEEPER DIVE: EarthEcho, Monitoring H2O Together

THE WATER FOUNDATION

The Water Foundation and its partners advance lasting solutions to secure safe water for people, restore and sustain freshwater ecosystems, and build climate resilience. It funds its work through direct grantmaking, field building, and campaign strategy development. 

The San Francisco Bay-area based public charity was founded in 2015. Its goal is to support community and nonprofit partners with scaling and accelerating their vital work. The Water Foundation also helps funders connect to and advance ambitious water strategies and systems change. Its mission is to create lasting water solutions for communities, economies, and the environment. Some of its partners include the Water Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus, the Comite Civico del Valle, Active San Gabriel Valley, the Council for Watershed Health and Pacoima Beautful, amongy many other local partners to address clean water equity.  

Why does the Water Foundation matter to us? Climate change will manifest in large part through worsening floods and droughts. Irrigated crops produce a significant portion of food supply, and that irrigation accounts for 80% of our water consumption. We need flowing rivers and replenished groundwater to keep water running from our taps. Systemic racism is at the heart of inequitable access to safe and affordable water, healthy food, green places to live and play, and other determinants of individual and public health.

DEEPER DIVE: Water Foundation, Water Foundation Strategy, NYT