Water Journey – Water Is Our Life

Fresh water – it’s the lifeblood of our planet, crucial for all living things, including us humans! It’s what keeps our ecosystems thriving, our biodiversity booming, and our lives running smoothly. Everyone deserves access to enough safe, clean water for drinking, cooking and sanitation. But with population growth, climate change, and other challenges, our water supply is under threat.  So conserving water isn’t just smart – it’s essential.

Hi. I’m Arno. I’m with the Aquanauts. 

We’re wild about water and how to make sure there’s enough for everyone who needs it now and in years to come.

Here at Aquanaut Central, we keep an eye on what’s happening to our water, looking at new innovations and what we and YOU can do to help! After all, we all love water, right?  

It’s everywhere and we kind of take it for granted. In fact, the United Nations says access to safe affordable and clean water is a human right. But is it that simple? 

Here in the UK, we’re lucky. Water flows straight to our taps, ready whenever we need it. But in many parts of the world, it’s a whole different story. People sometimes have to walks for miles to get water from a river or stream. They share that water with animals, which can make it risky to drink.

No fancy pipes, no easy access, just raw, untreated water that needs to be boiled before it’s safe. It’s wild out there, with poor infrastructure and unpredictable rain, people have to get creative – storing water, reusing it and changing their lifestyles just to survive.

For millions of years, rain was our go to for fresh water, but with increasing populations, new and more reliable sources are needed and in MEGA quantities.

Aquafact – Did you know the average person in the UK uses around 160 litres of water every single day?

As populations rise and we become more urban, we need to get serious about water because there’s only so much to go around.

Aquafact – Earth is known as the blue planet as over 70% is covered in water.  But only 3% of that is fresh water.

An incredible 90% of fresh water is trapped in the ice at the Antarctic! In fact, less than 1% of the available fresh water is accessible to us and with overdevelopment, pollution and climate change, our tiny water supply might not be able to cope. If we don’t act, by 2025 1.8 billion people could be living in places where water is almost non-existent, and two-thirds of the world’s population might face water stress.

So, what can we do? Well, we’ve got to protect our fresh water and manage it wisely. Water stewardship is all about caring for our water so we can use it responsibly and sustainably, ensuring it benefits everyone. 

A big problem is that climate change is messing with rainfall patterns and increasing evaporation, which means less water where we need it. 60% of the world’s biggest rivers are already fragmented by dams and canals, and many don’t reach the sea anymore. Water pollution from human activities is a big deal too… 3 million people die from water-borne diseases each year, many of them children.

So, our water needs protection and smart management, or it’s going to be hard to access. Don’t forget about carbon emissions too! You might not think water has much to do with saving energy but we’re going to find out if it’s a real problem…

Every drop of water we save helps reduce carbon emissions. The UK’s water industry creates nearly 1% of the country’s total carbon emissions because of the energy-intensive processes of treating and transporting water. The things we buy, from T-shirts to teabags, sausages to smartphones, they all need water to be produced, something we call embedded water. 

If we use less water, we’re helping fight climate change. Saving water isn’t just about today, it’s about protecting our future, our environment and our planet or we could be facing water shortages… even in the UK within the next 30 years and that’s where YOU come in! 

We’re going to be helping you understand the challenges ahead, and discover some of the cool engineering and careers that are helping solve the issues. We’re also going to find out how we can all make a difference and how you can become an Aquanaut and help engineer our water future! 

Take the challenge!

This Water Memory Game is designed to teach you about water and the water cycle! It’s like a traditional memory card game but with a water-themed twist. Ready? Download here!

Want to know more?

‘This is Engineering’ is an initiative led by the Royal Academy of Engineering in partnership with EngineeringUK and major engineering organisations to encourage young people from all backgrounds to consider a career in engineering. Click HERE to find out more… or perhaps visit the Museum of Engineering Innovation.

AQUANAUTS! CREATED WITH SUPPORT FROM A ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING INGENIOUS GRANT AND CARDIFF UNIVERSITY.