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One of the main targets of the UN sustainable goal 6 is to protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.&nbsp;Water-related ecosystems provide essential social and economic benefits and services that support societies, such as water for drinking, sanitation and agriculture. In addition, all living organisms need water to survive, which is why it is so important to protect and preserve our freshwater sources.&nbsp;<h1>How Do We Use Water in Agriculture? &nbsp;</h1>According to the UN, approximately 70% of all water taken from rivers, lakes and aquifers is used for irrigation. Irrigation is the agricultural process of applying controlled amounts of water to land in the production of crops. It is also applied to grow landscape plants and lawns, where it may be known as watering, which is not limited to homes. Parks, cemeteries, plant nurseries, schools, golf courses, etc., all need watering too.&nbsp;Irrigation in agriculture also includes water used for:&nbsp;<ul><li>Pre-irrigation to moist soil before cultivation&nbsp;</li><li>Frost protection by using sprinklers. A moist ground stays warmer than dry ground.&nbsp;</li><li>Field or land preparation is a process that involves several activities, including plowing, breaking and adding soil nutrients. The purpose of these activities is to improve crop/plant growth and development.</li><li>Crop cooling, adding small amounts of water, lowering crop temperature and raising the air's humidity as the water evaporates.&nbsp;</li><li>Chemical application - also known as chemigation - consists of applying agricultural chemicals through the irrigation system and the irrigation water. Thus, water is a fundamental element in agriculture.&nbsp;</li></ul>Check out the following video to learn about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRek-avqweI">types of irrigation&nbsp;</a>Now that we know how much water is needed in agriculture and how agriculture is fundamental for all societies, let's think about the primary target: protect and restore. How do we do that?&nbsp;<h1>How Do We Protect and Restore an Ecosystem?</h1>One way governments can ensure the preservation of particular ecosystems is by declaring these areas as 'protected'. Establishing protected areas through legal measures can serve to protect and preserve endangered ecosystems. For example, in 1998, 6,264 km2 of the Danube Delta (Romania and Ukraine) were protected as part of the <a href="https://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=6393&amp;URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&amp;URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO Man and Biosphere program</a>. Furthermore, the famous Australian Great Barrier Reef became a Marine Protected Area by becoming a national park. Since 25 November 2009, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was recognized as a matter of national environmental significance, and it is now protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).&nbsp;<h1>What is a Protected Area?</h1>A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. (IUCN Definition 2008)Protected areas are crucial to ensure the conservation of nature and the services it provides us.&nbsp;Another way to ensure the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems is by promoting land purchase and the establishment of conservation easements (i.e., the purchase of development rights). Public and private purchases of ecologically valuable can help reduce nutrient pollution by protecting ecosystems that capture and cycle nutrients. For example, the Worcester Land Protection Partnership between the city of Worcester (Massachusetts, U.S.) and the Trust for Public Land aims to improve and maintain water quality in the adjacent rivers and reservoirs.<h1>Real Action - How to Get Involved&nbsp;</h1>The Water Action Hub is a worldwide online collaboration and knowledge bank platform for water sustainability and climate resilience, developed by the <a href="https://ceowatermandate.org/">CEO Water Mandate</a>.The Hub helps companies and other organizations address water conservation and protection projects and campaigns by:&nbsp;<ol><li>Raising awareness of sustainability projects&nbsp;</li><li>Allowing organizations to propose new projects&nbsp;</li><li>Facilitating collective action</li></ol>The water action hub is the perfect place to find local projects and get involved! They have an extensive directory of global campaigns and organizations serving as the ideal bridge between communities and enterprises. For example, The Wild Mile project, based in the United States, is a project that looks into studying the river basin conditions and creating long-term partnership(s) to raise awareness of challenges among water users in the area.&nbsp;"Our park boasts a series of floating gardens &amp; trees, habitat installations, access points, and educational initiatives with the aim of creating a robust wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Chicago." - The Wild Mile.&nbsp;So far, the project has installed 11,000 square feet of gardens and a mussel habitat and bat traps. To find out more, or to visit the garden project, check out their website <a href="https://www.urbanriv.org">www.urbanriv.org</a>. &nbsp;

Without water, there is no life. Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems is needed to secure a future.  

Water, Thirsty Potatoes & The Environment

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Thinking CapLike the Wild Mile, so many other local and global projects look at restoring and protecting water-based ecosystems. Use these as inspiration to create your own.&nbsp;Create a campaign to protect and restore your local river/pond/beach/lake. First, find out what type of flora and fauna live there. Then, brainstorm with friends or family; think about the messaging, the feel, and the look of your campaign. How can you motivate people to protect the area? Can you organize a cleaning day to clear the area of any trash? If you live in a farming zone, are there ways you can improve irrigation/water use?Let us know how we can help!&nbsp;

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Access to clean water is still a luxury in some countries. Imagine a world in which you don't have running clear and clean water coming from your tap every day. A world in which you need to collect water every day from an unsensitized source and walk hundreds of miles every week just to bathe, clean your clothes, and cook.&nbsp;The dangers of consuming unclean water are extensively known. Contaminated water can transmit diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000 diarrheal deaths each year.&nbsp;But, what is considered unclean water?&nbsp;Any water that contains the following in any quantity:&nbsp;<ul><li>E. coli Bacteria</li><li>Coliform Bacteria</li><li>Nitrates</li><li>Lead</li><li>Fluoride</li><li>Arsenic</li><li>Radium</li><li>Radon</li><li>Pharmaceuticals</li><li>Herbicides</li><li>Pesticides</li><li>Chemicals</li><li>Fecal Matter</li><li>Microbial Pathogens</li><li>Parasites</li><li>Viruses</li><li>Petrochemicals</li></ul>However, herbicides, pesticides, chemicals, and fecal matter can sometimes be due to agricultural activities near a water source, such as a river, which is why drinking directly from a river can cause many diseases. Therefore, it is always advisable to boil the water or use a filtering system to remove any possible contaminants from river water. Boiling water kills most types of parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Additionally, it increases concentrations of other pollutants due to evaporation of water.Other contaminants can be due to manufacturing when companies dump waste in water sources. For example, between 1950 and 1970, Ford Motors operated an assembly plant in northern New Jersey, in nearby Mahwah. Although this plant closed in the 80s, it was later discovered that Ford Motor Co. dumped more than 35,000 tons of toxic paint sludge onto lands occupied for centuries by the Turtle Clan of the Ramapough Lenape tribe, poisoning groundwater with arsenic, lead and other harmful chemicals.Exposure to these chemicals caused great harm to the local population's health; This is an example of how unclean water drinking can happen anywhere in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in the US?</h1>For most parts, yes. In the United States, tap water goes through a filtration and cleaning process before it even reaches your home. However, this can vary per state, and it is always good to research before drinking. Most homes in the United States also have a filter that refilters the water once more before it gets to your cup.&nbsp;In some states, water also goes through a cleaning process using chlorine and ultraviolet light. However, this also comes with other added chemicals to control pH and prevent corrosion. From the lake to the tap, water goes through many steps to become safe for us to drink. It is a crucial process that requires constant monitoring.&nbsp;Not all countries are so lucky and lack the infrastructure and resources needed to guarantee clean drinking water to all its citizens.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Testing Your Drinking Water</h1>The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that you can test your drinking water if you doubt its purity. However, the first thing you need to know is where your tap water is coming from. If you or your parents pay a water bill, chances are they are purchasing water from a public water system, where the water is constantly monitored and tested. Results from water purity can be accessed via the federal, state or tribal drinking water agencies responsible for making sure the water meets the National Primary Drinking Water Standards.&nbsp;In addition, all water company suppliers must notify consumers when and if contaminants are found in the water at any time. However, if your home's drinking water does not come from a public water system, it is recommended you test it periodically. Water should be tested even if no smells or discolorations are seen.&nbsp;Coliform bacteria, nitrates and pH levels should be always monitored.

Access to clean water is still a luxury in some countries. Imagine a world in which you don't have running clear and clean water coming from your tap every day.

Is your Water Clean? 

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Thinking Cap OnYou go on a camping trip with your family, and you run out of bottled drinking water. Can you drink the water from the river? What safety precautions do you and your family take into account before consuming or using the water to clean and cook? Please make a list and discuss it with your family.&nbsp;Overall you have learned about the importance of clean water and the possible contaminants. But, by now, you have also learned that unsafe water can affect anyone anywhere and is not limited to only African countries. &nbsp;Carrying your own water bottle with a filtering system can always help you keep control of the quality of the water you consume when out and about. But also, understanding where the water from the tab comes from and the possible side effects any pollutants can cause you.&nbsp;

Clean Water and Sanitation

Water, Thirsty Potatoes & The Environment

Is your Water Clean?