This educational app transforms and embodies, as a legacy, our accumulated experience from running the educational component of the “Non-Convention Water Resources Programme in the Mediterranean” for a decade (2008-2018). The NCWRs programme run in many water scarce islands of Greece, but also in Malta, Cyprus and Sicily (Italy), under the coordination of GWP-Med. The Educational Component of the NCWRs Programme that included school interventions, authoring of teaching resources and many teacher seminars was implemented by the education team of MIO-ECSDE, the MEdIES team.

The main objective of these education activities was to raise awareness and sensitize the educational community about the alternative, or non-conventional water resources. Such resources, that can be used at home, school or even at a city level can increase the available water for the community, being thus an important tool in combating climate change. Within this decade some 35.000 students were engaged in our school interventions and more than 5.000 teachers participated in our seminars.

The content of the app is based on the principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), aspiring to develop inquiry, creativity and problem-solving skills as well as to inspire responsible consumption habits in line with the sustainability principles.

The app is designed to be accessed by PCs, laptops, smart phones and tablets. It does NOT require any subscription, nor does it retain personal data of the educators and the students: users navigate and interact at their own will. The app is designed to be played directly by the students, with or without the guidance of the teacher. The main target group is ages from 10 to 13 years old, however, many activities can be tried by older or younger students.

The app was launched in 2019 with 15 sections and, depending on the feedback we will collect, we plan to gradually amend and enrich them. In our modern “digital” era we hope that this open educational application will be useful to the English speaking education community.

A final note from us: Starting from the water agenda, and addressing it through the sustainability “lenses”, we do hope that, this app will be a stepping stone for achieving broader aims having to do with the environmental literate, responsible and active citizen of tomorrow.

We will be glad to receive  your ideas and feedback on any aspect of the APP at: info@medies.net

The NCWR Programme was launched by GWP-Med (coordinator) in 2008 in Greece and since then it has expanded in the Maltese Islands, in Cyprus, and in Sicily/ Italy. NCWR is a multi-stakeholder Programme, bringing together GWP-Med with the private sector and primary donors – the “Mission Water” Environmental Programme in Greece, the Coca-Cola Systems in Cyprus & Malta and the Coca-Cola Foundation in Atlanta, together with national and local authorities and NGOs, namely MIO-ECSDE (responsible of the educational component) and Nature Trust Malta. Apart from the educational activities for students and teachers, the Programme included applications of NCWR systems, such as rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling,  awareness raising activities for the public and capacity building workshops for administrators, technicians, etc.  in order to advance the NCWR management. Read more on the NCWR Programme.

The organisations

Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) is a regional partnership of the Global Water Partnership (with inter-governmental status), established in 2002. GWP-Med is a multistakeholder platform bringing together competent organisations working on water issues from around the Mediterranean Region. Its goal is to promote action and exchange knowledge on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the sustainable use
of water resources at regional, national, local (including transboundary) level. E secretariat@gwpmed.org, W www.gwpmed.org,   F/B www.facebook.com/GWPMed/

The Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE) is a non-profit Federation of NGOs from the Mediterranean region working in the field of Environment and Sustainable Development. Since its establishment, back in 1996, MIO-ECSDE acts as a technical and political platform for the representation and intervention of the Civil Society in issues related to sustainability.  E info@mio-ecsde.org,  W  www.mio-ecsde.org F/B https://www.facebook.com/MIOECSDE

The Mediterranean Education Initiative for Education and Sustainability is the main long standing initiative of MIO-ECSDE having to do with education. It is actually a Mediterranean wide online network of educators  on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) launched in 2002. Its main objective is to provide capacity building on ESD topics and methodologies, develop appropriate resources in many languages and facilitate the educators e-network  Ε info@medies.net  W www.medies.net  F/B www.facebook.com/MEdIES.Net/

The sponsors

The development of the app was possible through the support of the Coca Cola Foundation (Atlanta),  within the NCWR Programme in the Mediterranean, as well as the EU Life Programme – Operating Grants for NGOs (2018-2019), of MIO-ECSDE.

The app

• Authors: Vicky Malotidi  &  Iro Alampei, MEdIES/MIO-ECSDE
• Scientific Coordinator: Prof. Michael Scoullos, MIO-ECSDE & GWP-Med Chair, UNESCO Chair and Network at the UoA
• Web development: Michelle Kondou
• Web design: Eleni Spyridaki

The education team

• NCWR coordination: Konstantina Toli, GWP-Med
• NCWR educational component: Iro Alampei, Vicky Malotidi, Vassilis Psallidas
• NCWR visual identity :  Kostas Caparos & Caparo design crew
• NCWR education activities in Attica/Greece: Vassilis Psallidas, MEdIES / MIO-ECSDE
• NCWR education activities in Malta & Gozo: Marvic Refalo, Ekoskola/NTM
• NCWR educational activities in Cyprus: Aravella Zachariou, Cyprus Pedagogical Institute

Special thanks

As MEdIES, we would like to warmly thank all the formal and non-formal educators who have embraced the NCWR Programme all these years and have continually supported the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and the growth of the Programme in their regions.

Specifically we thank :

From Cyprus:  G. Amirotou, St. Chatziachileos, C. Fanis, G. Herodotou,  D. Mougianou, S. Kamenou, K. Kefalas, K. Michael, N. Paparanikolas. 

From Greece : A. Athanasopoulos, V. Baliousis, D. Bia, M. Chatzieleftheriou, N. Chazapis, A. Dardioti, M. Dimopoulou, I. Dinou, A. Fragkouli , D. Gavrili, I. Glynos, D. Gotzos, A. Hatziparaskeyaidis, Th. Ioannou, D. Kafritsa, M. Kagiafa, Th. Karaventzas, A. Kastanas, V. Kioupi, K. Kirdi, P.Kotsabasi, G. Kottis, A. Koukoutsi, E. Lentza, P. Loi, E. Manousou, N. Mastoropoulos, A. Mavrakis, I. Michailidou, E. Moula, M. Mylona, E. Niarchou, A.  Panagou, N. Papadakis, M. Papadopoulos, Th. Papapavlou,  P. Papazoglou, F. Peppa , V. Petridou, E. Printezi, M. Spartinou, N. Stefanopoulos, M. Theocharopoulos, C. Tsaliki , P. Tselektsidou, A. Tsigkou, V. Vorila & G. Voulgaris. 

From Malta : E. Saliba, E. Sammut Carbone & V. Attard. 

From Italy: P. Bonelli & I. Tenessidis.

Acting on climate: Group Activity © Capparo design crew

Desalination: Stop & Wonder © Capparo design crew, Petri dish © MEdIES

Do you know about grey water?: 1st Water Readings © Capparo design crew

Greywater recycling systems in practice: 2nd Water Readings © GWP-Med

Rainwater Harvesting Systems in practice:  1st Water Readings© Capparo design crew, 1st Play & Learn, 2nd and 3rd Water Readings © GWP-Med

Rainwater Harvesting:  1st Stop & Wonder © Capparo design crew, 1st Play & Learn © WikiCC compilation

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle: 1st Water readings © Capparo design crew

Wastewater treatment: Water  Readings © V.Psallidas/MEdIES

Water cycle in a bowl: Drakolimni Lake, Greece ©Welcome Travel, Activity  ©V.Psallidas/MEdIES

Water in the city: Stop and wonder © Capparo design crew, 1st Play and learn: MEdIES archive (ALTER AQUA activities) except from the 6th©Jim.henderson wiki CreativeCommons & 8th image ©greywateraction.org

Waterworks through time: Water readings © Capparo design crew, Play and learn: 1. Adrianeion aqueduct © https://www.itia.ntua.gr, 2. Eagle Fountain © E.Saliba,  3. Agia Napa ©V.Psallidas/ MEdIES, 4. Monemvasia © Hellenic Ministry of Culture Water in Byzantine publication 2000, 5. Morozini tap © V.Malotidi/ MEdIES,  6. Malta (well) © V.Malotidi/ MEdIES,  7. Cyprus aqueduct ©A.Michelides, 8. tap in Critou Terra© V.Psallidas/MEdIES, 9. Malta aqueduct © V.Malotidi/MEdIES, 10. Ventotene cistern© P.Bonelli, 11. Sardinia © wikimapia.org

Water resources: 1st Water readings © Capparo design crew

Where do I begin? Water readings & 1st Group activity © Capparo design crew,  Diamond sketch © I.Alampei/MEdIES

All other images: Eleni Spyridaki.