Values sdg6 Clean water and sanitation

Engage, with others in the construction of knowledge related to the equitable distribution of water resources and sanitation issues and recognise values and beliefs behind (un)sustainable ways of managing water. 
Identify own values and those of others and reflect how these can be combined in order to preserve water resources and promote sanitation. 

For example:

Inquiry method: learners explore how water is managed in their area, and exchange with one another in the form of “expert-groups”. 
3 or 6 groups search in (scientific) literature, in the press, making interviews and fieldtrips, they define (one sub-topic per group or for two groups):

  • A the natural context (water basin, pluviometry, carrying capacity, …)
  • B the way the resource is managed (implicated stakeholders, governance type and ownership, costs, usages, legislation and regulations in case of scarcity, …)
  • C the connotation given to the resource (based on activities depending on it, accessibility and distribution patterns, economical and non-economical values and scientific knowledge related to water, …)

The groups mix (groups of 3 or 6 with 1 or 2 person per sub-topic – a,b,c)) and present their work to each other. Discuss: 

  • A whether the water is managed in a sustainable way, who benefits from the existing regulations and governance type, and who is excluded if any. 
  • B one possible way of tending towards more sustainability if needed, taking into account the governance type and the legislation, values and power issues amongst stakeholders and the carrying capacity of the resource. 
  • C what their own values and perspective is on this issue.

The groups present their conclusions to the whole group and discuss the similarities and differences in their judgement. The whole group then has to decide whether the water is managed in a sustainable way or not, and what could be done towards a more sustainable way of managing the resource if necessary, summarising what compromises they would have to make as individuals with a specific set of values. 

See also p. 146 of UNESCO’s guide 2017 “Textbooks for SD – a guide to embedding”.