Frozen Water Holds the Key to Celebrating World Water Day
21 March 2025 15:14
NI Water’s Education Team are celebrating World Water Day this weekend by teaching children about the importance of protecting frozen water resources such as glaciers for future generations as part of the water cycle.
World Water Day is celebrated annually on 22nd March and is the United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of fresh water. The theme for 2025 is ‘Glacier Preservation, highlighting the urgent need to protect glaciers and secure freshwater resources for future generations.
The water cycle is the ongoing process whereby the world’s water continuously moves between lakes, rivers, oceans, the atmosphere and the land. NI Water’s educational programme ‘H2O and the Wonderful World of Water’ teaches children about the water cycle, the value of water and how important it is for us all to look after it.
Under World Water Day’s 2025 theme ‘Glacier Preservation’, the curious students also learned more about protecting glaciers for the future. Activities also included a fun game of Water Bingo and exploring more about the meaning behind its ice caps card.
NI Water education officer Anna Killen said: “Glaciers store approximately 70% of the world's fresh water, making them the largest natural reservoir of freshwater on earth. They are critical to life as their meltwater is essential for drinking water, agriculture, industry, clean energy production and healthy ecosystems.
“However, climate change is impacting that for all of us. We are hearing more about how glaciers are melting rapidly and how that’s making the water cycle more unpredictable and extreme, causing uncertainty to water flows with profound impacts on people and the planet.
“This World Water Day, we’re remembering the importance of working together to prioritise glacier preservation to tackle climate change and the global water crisis. To learn more about how you can save water go to www.getwaterfit.co.uk to find out where you use water in your home and discover easy ways to make savings and stay water fit.”
Ends
Caption for photograph:
Pupils from St Bernard’s Primary School in Glengormley are pictured with NI Water Education Officer Anna Killen at the Belfast Wastewater Heritage Centre where they learned more about the water cycle and the importance of protecting frozen water formations like glaciers for future generations.
Notes to editors:
- To find out more about NI Water’s Education Team and the resources it offers to schools and groups visit www.niwater.com/education-and-the-community/
- NI Water’s Wastewater Heritage Centre offers an educational insight into the sights and smells of the Belfast sewerage system past and present. The tour helps visitors discover how sewage is cleaned and offers practical activities to investigate how pollution impacts our natural environment. Further information is available via www.niwater.com/heritage-wastewater-centre