Water Calculator Tool

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Originally appears in the Spring 2021 issue.

By Hasna Haidar

As with many environmental issues, water scarcity feels like a ticking time bomb. While millions of people around the world struggle to get clean water (one in nine lack access to safe water)[1], many in the three largest nations use significant amounts of it. China, India, and the United States have total water footprints of 1,207, 1,182, and 1,053 mm³/year respectively[2]. With potable water being both a finite resource and one that’s unavailable to 29% of the world[3], it’s important that our children have a firm grasp of these issues now, so that they can make a difference in the world tomorrow. The idea that we have a responsibility to teach students about water is broached in a new project by dishwashing detergent company Finish. They teamed up with experts in the field to create a Water Calculator Tool that helps users find out how much water they use every day. When you’re trying to explain the complex concepts surrounding water scarcity, water usage, and the general water cycle to children, it can help to explore them into a real-world context. We’ve provided a couple of examples of how you could use this tool to bring this important issue to life for your students.