- Aquatic Biodiversity
- Climate change
- Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)
- Drinking water & Sanitation
International Environmental Education Day – How can we raise awareness and provide training on climate issues for the future of water resources?
Every year, International Environmental Education Day reminds us of an essential truth: understanding nature is the first step towards protecting it better. Faced with the urgency of the climate crisis, education is no longer just about transmitting knowledge; it is a lever for action, enabling humanity to adapt without harming ecosystems.
Among the leading players in this field, the International Office for Water (IOWater) is implementing concrete initiatives to raise awareness, educate and mobilise all audiences around the issues of water and biodiversity.
Environmental education is essential for everyone to acquire knowledge about how ecosystems work, so that they can adapt their activities to natural environments without damaging them. It is not limited to the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and aims to:
- Understanding natural balances and the water cycle,
- Encouraging responsible and sustainable behaviour,
- Training tomorrow's professionals to take concrete action in their local areas.
Citizens, businesses and decision-makers alike will thus be able to adopt more responsible and sustainable behaviour, with the tools they need to take concrete action, both individually and collectively.
Edutainment: learning through play to act more effectively
Educational games, or the art of imparting knowledge through play, have become a strategic pillar of the Office International Office de l'Eau (OiEau) practices to raise public awareness of environmental issues.
This approach is constantly monitored by the teams at the Training and Educational Engineering Department (DFIP) to incorporate the best teaching methods.
Other OiEau departments are also developing initiatives to raise public awareness of water and biodiversity through edutainment. An inventory of existing tools has been carried out, followed by an analysis of the most suitable formats according to the target audience and the type of message to be conveyed. A database will then be created to guide users in their choice of tools.
A practical application at Grand Lab'Eau-Bois
Theory in action
The Grand Lab'Eau-Bois event, held in Limoges from 13 to 16 November, demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach to nearly 4,000 visitors.
Mobilising all of OiEau's departments, a stand offered an immersion into the water cycle and forest resources.
A variety of tools for all ages
The highlight of the event was a resource hunt featuring Rana the frog. To complete their missions, participants had a range of tools at their disposal: an exhibition on watershed heads, infographics, digital media such as the Plume chatbot developed by OiEau for its Knowledge base, podcasts and recordings of web conferences, as well as hands-on workshops including animal footprint puzzles and paper fortune tellers.
The ‘paper fortune teller’ format, already tried and tested at previous events, proved to be an excellent way to get the message across: economical, easy to produce and fun for testing the knowledge of younger participants.
A lasting human and educational impact
Beyond the transmission of technical data, this experience has helped to ‘sow the seeds’ among the younger generations. OiEau experts emphasised the pleasure of interacting with a diverse audience and the satisfaction of seeing the enthusiasm generated by these workshops.
Training tomorrow's talent: welcoming students to the OiEau Training Centre
Faced with the crisis in the attractiveness of water-related professions, OiEau plays a key role in training and supporting future professionals.
OiEau has therefore forged close ties with higher education institutions in the Limousin region, resulting in
- Partnerships, such as with ENSIL-ENSCI and the Lycée Professionnel Agricole d'Ahun, to strengthen the links between engineering training and technical expertise.
- Welcoming students to its training centre, particularly to its unique teaching platforms, which are technical facilities enabling future professionals to learn through practice.
- Participation in forums and career guidance events to showcase the diversity of careers (technicians, engineers, managers).
These actions strengthen the link between higher education, research and the professional world, while promoting water-related professions as meaningful careers.
L’OiEau: a committed player in environmental education
Through educational games, events, academic partnerships and training, OiEau actively contributes to:
- Raising awareness of climate and water issues,
- Training responsible citizens and professionals,
- Promoting a culture of sustainable water use in France and internationally.
On International Environmental Education Day, OiEau reminds us that understanding, communicating and taking action are the keys to protecting our environment in the long term.