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The Young Water Action Team, the International Water Association and America's Clean Water Foundation promoted the second annual World Water Monitoring Day on October 18th 2004 when YWAT members in 23 countries organized water monitoring activities in their town, region or country.
This practical, fun activity encourages both amateur and experienced volunteers to go to their local rivers, lakes and streams and perform a simple test measuring 4 basic water properties:
- Temperature
- pH
- Dissolved Oxygen
- Turbidity (water clarity)
Results are recorded on a data sheet and entered by country and location on the World Water Monitoring Day website:
www.worldwatermonitoringday.org
World Water Monitoring Day is a global event involving young and old, amateur and professional volunteers. It encourages potential water-monitors to spend more time outdoors, caring for their local water source and therefore their environment. World Water Monitoring Day will be the first step for many who have never considered taking part in water quality protection before.
Water Monitoring Kits
In 2004, IWA donated 181 LaMotte monitoring kits to YWAT members in 23 countries. For those who do not have access to monitoring equipment, water-testing kits can be ordered via the website www.worldwatermonitoringday.org. The kits are compact and simple to use, and contain enough materials to be re-used up to 50 times. They comprise a plastic screw-top container for collecting water samples, test tubes and tablets for performing pH and Dissolved Oxygen tests, a miniature Secchi disk for measuring turbidity, colour reference chart, instruction book and data sheet for recording readings. Volunteers are encouraged to use their own testing equipment if they have it. The important thing is to participate.
Timeline
The water-monitoring window was open from 18th September to 18th October, and culminated in the celebration of World Water Monitoring Day itself on October 18th 2004. Results can still be recorded on the website until December 18th, providing the readings themselves were taken during the monitoring window.
Regional Coordinators
World Water Monitoring Day is a truly global project, with 38 YWAT members in 23 countries coordinating monitoring activities in their town, region or country. YWAT members in Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Burundi, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Holland, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Sri Lanka, Uganda, UK, Zambia and Zimbabwe organized water monitoring activities in 2004.
Summary of WWMD Celebrations in Asia
In Sri Lanka, Chalaka Fernando organized a two-day WWMD celebration in Kandy starting on October 17th. School children from Colombo, Nuwara Eliya and Kurunegala will join local students in monitoring several sites on the Kandy Lake. IWA has donated 25 LaMotte kits, and the Young Water Action Team sponsored travel and accommodation for 50 participants. In Indonesia, Trimeirani Wuryandani has organized monitoring activities for 10 groups of students on Lake Cibubur and the Kalimalang River in east Jakarta.
Siva Govindarajan has registered four sites in India: Adyar river, Cooum river, Pallikarani wet land, Vaigai river. N.Karunakaran, another YWAT member from India, has registered two sites: the Chennai basin and Ponnaiyar. Soundharajan has registered one site by the Adyar Bridge in Chennai. A.R. Patil, the Chairman of the T.R.A.P-Foundation in India, has registered 40 sites. Sachi Satpathy has registered sites near the Vrishabhavathi Valley, the Ulsoor Lake and the Sankey Lake in India. Three kits were sent to Cyprien Ntahomvukiye in Burundi. Taimur Ali has registered ten sites in Pakistan, including D.I.Khan, Bannu, Tank, Chasma, Kohat, Kulachi, Kharrak, Gumal, Lakki.
Summary of WWMD Celebrations in Europe
Yoseph Araya, Secretary of the Board of the Young Water Action Team, demonstrated how to use the LaMotte kit at the UK press conference on August 18th. Yoseph has received six kits for two schools in England: Redborne Upper School and Community College and Walton High School in Milton Keynes. Ahmed Abdel-Khalek has registered 10 sites near Leuven in Belgium. Edouard Perard is monitoring the quality of the River Seine in France. In Armenia, Lilit Simonyan has registered sites on the Pambak river, the Dzoraget river and the Debed river in the Lori region. Petra de Regt is organizing a World Water Monitoring Day workshop for high school students on the River Scheldt in The Netherlands.
Youth and Environment Europe is an organization based in Prague. Peter Cabara registered two sites in Czech Republic, Nurzat Abdyrasulova has registered sites in the Ala-Archa National Park and at Teplye Kljuchi in Kyrgyzistan. Alexandra Prinz’s small environmental youth group in Germany has registered 11 sites in Bavaria: Lake Rothsee, River Alz, River Grünbach, River Ilm, River Fensterbach, Lake Altmühlsee, River Altmühl, River Oberstjägermeisterbach and River Loisach.
Summary of WWMD Celebrations in The Americas
Tania Zamora Ramos has been sent two kits for monitoring activities in Peru. Juan Carlos Alva Nieto has identified 18 monitoring sites in Mexico.
Summary of WWMD Celebrations in Africa
In South Africa, Pholela High School in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, a school in the Drakensberg mountains, a small rural school outside Durban, the Kowie Catchment Campaign in Grahamstown and the Women's Leadership & Training Programme all celebrated World Water Monitoring Day. Dr Janice Limson of Science in Africa, the online educational magazine has sent out WWMD information brochures to teachers at 14 schools in the Eastern Cape and 30 science teachers in the Grahamstown area. Charles Chisanga, Executive Secretary of the Water and Sanitation Association of Zambia, has registered three sites: Kafue river at Kasaka, Ngwerere River at Estate Weir and the Chalimbana River at Romor farm in the Chalimbana catchment.
In Egypt, Heba Yaken has registered three sites on the River Nile: at Zamalk, El Maadi and Al Qanater al Khairia. Richard W C Chipeta has registered sites in five townships in Blantyre, Malawi: Mbayani, Bangwe, Chilobwe, Makhetha, Chilomoni-Ndirande. Washington Ulemu Chimuzu has also registered four sites in Malawi: Mudi River, Mudi Dam, Shire River, Lilongwe River. In Ghana, Rashid Zuberu has registered three sites: River Pra in the Ashanti region of Ghana, River Densu in the Central region and the Dunkwa-Offinso River. Richard Twum will monitor the quality of a river before and after a textile factory in Accra. Faisal Ahmed Mairiga has registered two sites in Ghana: the Simmsco Valley and the Central Santan Pond.
Michael.O.K'Owuor has registered ten sites in Kenya: Lake Victoria, River Ogono, Omwonyo-dero tream, River Kajwang, Gera Stream, River Ngeri, River Kuja, Olambwe stream, Soklo stream, River Gwasi and the Asego stream. Andrew Biyinzika has been sent five kits to help young people with disabilities take part in World Water Monitoring Day in Uganda. Tawanda Manyangadze and 100 members of the Midlands State University Environmental Society are testing five sites in Zimbabwe: Mucheke, Shakashe and Makurumidze rivers near the city of Masvingo, and the Gweru river and Fletcher dam in the city of Gweru.
Francis Abayomi has received 18 kits to monitor sites in Nigeria, including Ogun Osun River Basin in south west Nigeria, River Asa and other sites in Kwara state, Mgbirichi River, Ihiagwa River, Nworie River, Umukene River and also water treatment plants in Abeokuta, Oyo State, Delta state and Calabar. Joachim Ezeji has registered two sites in Nigeria: Otamiri River in Owerri and the Nworie stream in the Holy Ghost-Fuason Valley. Mike Ale has registered 10 sites in Nigeria. Four kits were sent to Otu Uwem Robert, President of the African Youth Movement, which is based in the Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria.
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