The World Water Council is a non-profit, non-governmental think tank with a mission to promote awareness and build political commitment on critical water issues at all decision-making levels. The concept for the Council arose at a 1977 UN conference. Their programs emphasize efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management and use of water. Available resources include press releases, ... Full description.

Focusing on Australia's water use and conservation efforts, this site provides teachers with activities and ideas for encouraging students to analyze their own use as well as learn about the nation's use. Activities include conducting an individual and a family-based water consumption log, learning to gather, record and report data, and using the web to compare data submitted by other classes. Teachers ... Full description.

This expansive site provides information about water and its relation to conflict throughout the world. There are numerous articles about and links to information on water laws, disputes, and issues.The site also lists various water-related meetings and conferences being held around the world. Full description.

The site offers an interactive discussion of different vantage points associated with dam building. It describes some of the engineering and environmental issues that go into the process of selecting a site for building a dam and the conditions necessary for electrical generation. Links to classroom and family activities are organized by grade level. Full description.

This lesson is one in a series that brings the important stories of historic places into the classrooms across the country. It could be used in units on the early industrial period of American history and in courses on geography or science and technology. It will help students realize the role canals played in western expansion and in the evolution of transportation by focusing on the construction ... Full description.

As part of its Water Science for Schools site, the US Geological Survey defines industrial water use and includes several tables and maps showing where and how industry uses water. Students and teachers can look at their state and see 1990 data for how much ground water and how much surface water is used in industry as well as how much of that water is fresh or saline. Full description.

This data center provides information on waterborne commerce, vessel characteristics, port facilities, dredging, and lock performance. Data can be queried and are available by state, by commodity, and by waterway. Metadata are also available. Fact sheets explain the US waterways, their management, and their role in the economy. There are also numerous publications availabe via the site and an interactive ... Full description.

This site provides information about rivers, coasts, and the processes affecting them. Students can view an animation of the water cycle, read about how rivers and coasts change, learn about estuaries, and view information on how rivers, coasts, and other water features influence people's lives. Glossaries and a teacher's page offering lesson plans, worksheets, and links to additional sites are also ... Full description.

Supplemental to The World's Water book by Peter Gleick, this site offers data on the world's freshwater resources and uses. Tables and maps provide information on quantity and quality issues including data on access to safe drinking water; waterborne disease outbreaks; desalination capacity; as well as hydroelectric capacity and production. There is also a unique chronology documenting the historical ... Full description.

This site, published by the International Rivers Network (IRN), is an archive of the activities of the World Commission on Dams (WCD), which was an organization that addressed the controversial issues associated with large dams. The WCD completed its work with the launch of its final report and disbanded in 2000. Materials available at the site include a history of the WCD and its activities, summaries ... Full description.