Catchment management: water sustainability

Time Allocation: 40 minutes*

Activity Level: Moderate

Introduction

This water sustainability learning activity investigates the different uses for water across a catchment. Within a community, stakeholders can have different opinions on how water should be shared. Explore these competing demands for water in a typical catchment, and discover ways of being more sustainable.

*Time allocation includes 15 minutes of pre reading the case study resources.

Checklist

  • Printable activity sheet
  • Clipboard
  • Pencils

    • Instructions

    STEP 1:

    What is water sustainability?

    Begin a discussion as a class on water sustainability and changes in water use over the last 250 years.

    Reflect on what you discovered from the story of a river activity. What do you already understand about water sustainability?

    Use local information or the National Geographic article from the reference list to help frame the conversation.

    STEP 2:

    Land use in your area

    As a class, discuss the land uses in your local area. You may want to create a map.

    Use the list of land uses from the story of a river activity. Using Google maps, make a colour coded map of the local land uses in your catchment.

    You may wish to include the following land uses:

    • Residential
    • Industrial
    • Rural
    • Agricultural
    • Recreational zones

    Refer to the educator notes for more details.

    Mark the areas where you think water is wasted.

    Using the activity sheet, mark the urban water cycle elements that are present in your catchment.

    STEP 3:

    Case study: History of Sydney Olympic Park

    Use Sydney Olympic Park or a local example to look at changing land uses over time and impact they have had on the local area.

    Watch the video Sydney Olympic Park: A Place Rich in History.

    Find out about the Indigenous history of Sydney Olympic Park.

    Discover ways the Environment of the Sydney Olympic Park site has been restored.

    Learn about Sydney Olympic Park’s integrated approach to water conservation and catchment management.

    STEP 4:

    Change of land use in your area

    Together, discuss the changing land uses over time in your area. Do you know of any land uses in your area where the water has polluted the catchment?

    In the activity sheet, make a list of strategies (your ideas) that can help ensure water sustainability in your local area. Ideas include water recycling, water efficiencies, wastewater and rainwater tanks.

    Extension Activity

    Contact your local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander group to find out their words or names for local water and rivers. Invite them to your location to share the cultural significance of your local waterways and how resources are used.

    Research changes in land use in your local area over time. How has access to clean freshwater changed in your local area over the last 500 years? Create a timeline of these changes.