Access to Clean Water: What Is the Problem?
In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the right of every person around the world to have access to clean water water . Read the following description from the U.N.'s website:
"The Assembly recognized the right of every human being to have access to sufficient water for personal and domestic uses (between 50 and 100 litres of water per person per day), which must be safe, acceptable and affordable (water costs should not exceed 3 per cent of household income), and physically accessible (the water source has to be within 1,000 metres of the home and collection time should not exceed 30 minutes)."
It will take a lot of work to ensure that everyone has access to water that meets these guidelines. To get a sense of how serious the situation is, watch the following slideshow and video to see some challenges that people around the world face in securing access to clean water.
Three Little Pigs
Jay-Z Diary in Africa: Water for Life (Watch video #5 first. Next watch video #4.) Hip hop artist and President and CEO of Def Jam Records Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter joins United Nations officials on a visit to an African community that needs better access to clean water. online:
https://bubbl.us
Objectives
Facilitate a class discussion about the story and review the highlighted vocabulary. Let your class know that they will be studying severe weather and its impact on homes. For a hands-on extension activity, see Appendix F in the teacher resources.
Did you know?
What is severe weather?
How does weather impact people's lives?
STEM Career
Connection
Visit this section throughout the lesson to learn fun facts and explore science careers!
