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Tonga MODULE T JUST WATER: Too Much Salty Water MODULE T: TONGA BACKGROUND INFORMATION Just Water: Climate Change in the Pacific Resource Series This education module is part of a series that focuses on the challenges faced by communities in the Pacific region as a result of climate change. The series is entitled Just Water as many of the challenges involve water; either too much, or not enough. However, the phrase Just Water also refers to the position of the Catholic Church - that access to sufficient, safe, fresh water is a human right and a matter of social justice. How to Use this Module FOR LENT This series was launched at the time of Lent 2017 and has been designed to integrate country focused modules with a Lent module. Teachers and students are encouraged to use the Lent module for the first and last week of Lent. The country modules (including this one) could be used as a unique focus each week with at least one lesson provided at each learning level. Common themes cross over between the countries and the order in which they are covered does not matter. WEEK 1 WEEK 2 Lent 2017 LENT MODULE Kiribati JUST WATER: This module contains: WEEK 3 MODULE K JUST WATER: Climate Change in the Pacific Rising Sea Levels WEEK 4 Tonga MODULE T WEEK 5 Fiji JUST WATER: MODULE F JUST WATER: Too Much Salty Water Extreme Weather WEEK 6 Papua New Guinea Lent 2017 MODULE P This module contains: Climate Change in the Pacific Background information • Background information First Week of Lent lessons and worksheets • First Week of Lent lessons and worksheets • Holy Week lessons (on the last two pages of this module) • Holy Week lessons (on the last two pages of this module) LENT MODULE MODULE K KIRIBATI MODULE T TONGA MODULE F FIJI MODULE P PNG MODULE JUST WATER: JUST WATER: Too Much or Too Little • • Refer to the Teacher Booklet and other country modules for more information in this series. LENT LENT MODULE Refer to the Teacher Booklet and other country modules for more information in this series. AS A STAND-ALONE UNIT The country modules have also been designed so that teachers can use them as separate teaching units for schools and classes. Lessons could be easily adapted to provide a range of relevant activities for students across all levels. Online Resources and Curriculum Links All resources referred to in the lessons (including worksheets and videos) can be accessed at www.caritas.org.nz. All relevant achievement objectives can be found within the Teacher Booklet available online at the same address above. This booklet also provides a good summary of the series and contains a list of all the elements available online and how they can be used together. Look out for Links to Stories from our Environment Reports for Oceania Many of the stories that are central to the lessons in this series link with the voices that are found in Caritas’ Pacific environment reports published over the last few years. An icon of the relevant report can be found on the story and video summary pages along with the page reference where more information can be found. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA FACT SHEETS Country Profile: Tonga BACKGROUND: Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom of more than 170 islands, many uninhabited, most lined in white beaches and coral reefs and covered with tropical rainforest. The main island, Tongatapu, is protected by lagoons and limestone cliffs. Tonga never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of “The Friendly Islands” were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific. Capital:Nuku’alofa Language:English and Tongan 87%, Tongan (official) 11%, English (official) 1%, other 1% Ethnic breakdown: Tongan 97%, other 3% Population: 106,667 (October 2016 figure) Currency: Tongan paʻanga Religion: Protestant 65%, Mormon 17%, Roman Catholic 16%, other 2% Leaders: Head of state: King TUPOU VI (since 2012) Head of government: Prime Minister ‘Akilisi POHIVA (since 2014) Area: Total: 747 square kilometres Temperature:Tropical climate with a warmer period (December–April), during which the temperatures rise above 32 °C, and a cooler period (May– November), with temperatures rarely rising above 27 °C. Natural hazards:Cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo’ou. Current environmental issues: Deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations. Flag and Map: CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA FACT SHEETS Climate-Related Issues Coastal Erosion and Tsunamis The Tongan island group most affected by climate change is the Ha’apai Islands, consisting of 62 islands in total. Only 17 of these islands are populated. Some of the islands are volcanoes, but most are atolls with ring-shaped coral reefs. In some cases people live on islands within the lagoon of the reef. In other cases people live on the reefs themselves. Coral reefs are generally very low-lying. The Ha’apai Islands, and other low-lying areas in Tonga, are experiencing significant coastal erosion as a consequence of rising sea levels. Some houses on the coast have become uninhabitable, while coastal coconut trees are being destroyed by salty water. These same islands are dangerous places to be after an earthquake, when there is a risk of a tsunami. On some islands there is no higher ground for people to go to, so teachers in the schools are teaching children to climb on the school roof or climb cell phone towers if there is a tsunami threat. Impact of Cyclones In 1982, Cyclone Isaac displaced 45,000 people in Tonga. This was almost half of the country’s population at that time. In January 2014, the Ha’apai Islands were devastated by Cyclone Ian. Half of the population was displaced and an estimated US$50 million worth of damage was done. Caritas funds helped to rebuild homes and schools. More recently, Cyclone Winston caused damage in parts of the Ha’apai Island group and the Vava’u group. These extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more ferocious in Tonga. Drought As global temperatures rise, the Ha’apai Islands are experiencing longer periods without rain. In 2013 there was a drought that lasted for four months. Emergency water supplies had to be brought in to assist families whose rain water tanks were running dry. In the summer of 2015/16 there was another serious drought. Fresh Water Supply Issues People of the Ha’apai islands, and in Popua on Tongatapu, rely on rainwater collection for their fresh water supplies. Over the years, water tanks have been made from cement, aluminium, fibreglass and now plastic. But whatever the tanks are made of, measures need to be taken to ensure that the water stored in them remains fresh. Prolonged water storage and leaks in the seals of tanks can lead to impurities getting into the water, such as bacteria, waterborne diseases and insects. Such water contamination can lead to waterborne illness such as diarrhoea and dengue fever. Rusted currugated iron roofs also contribute to unsanitary water collection. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA FACT SHEETS Caritas in Action Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has worked with Caritas Tonga since 1999 to assist Tongans affected by droughts, cyclones and coastal erosion as well as community development programmes. Funds from Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand have helped to provide emergency supplies such as tarpaulins, bottled water, hygiene kits and food. New Zealand funds have also assisted with rebuilding schools and homes affected by cyclones. From 2014-2016, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand completed a water catchment rehabilitation project on the Ha’apai Islands. This involved renovating some of the one hundred year old concrete community water catchment tanks that had fallen into disrepair, as well as providing new rotomould plastic tanks in community centres, and providing some individual houses with water tanks. Often church and school halls are the sites for new water tanks so that the whole community can have access to them as a back-up supply if their own tanks run dry. Disaster Preparedness In 2015 Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand’s Humanitarian Officer, Mark Mitchell, conducted a disaster preparedness seminar with staff members of Caritas Tonga and the Tonga National Youth Council. Staff learned how to manage and distribute pre-positioned supplies, and to assemble emergency water filtration and supply equipment. An Oxfam representative was also part of the training day. Oxfam partners with Caritas Tonga in the area of water distribution, and Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand assists with other emergency supplies. Caritas Tonga are also prepared for natural disasters by keeping pre-positioned supplies in a small warehouse on Tongatapu, and some supplies are on the Vava’u islands. These supplies have been gifted by the New Zealand government at the request of Oxfam New Zealand and Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. As well as food and water, there are also pots, pans and stoves stored here. Once a month the Tonga National Youth Congress, a local social justice group, take a stock-take of items in the warehouse, to make sure they are prepared whenever an emergency occurs. Climate Change Officer Project Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is also funding the work of a Climate Change Officer for Caritas Tonga, Amelia Ma’afu. Amelia’s main responsibilities are visiting communities to gather data and knowledge of local and traditional methods for dealing with climate change; conducting training to raise awareness of climate change and researching methods of adaptation and mitigation. She is also developing an action plan with the communities, local and national government authorities and civil society to respond to climate change and build resilience. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA FACT SHEETS Cultural Connection: Sweet Treats Follow the recipe below to create a favourite Tongan sweet treat – banana dumplings (Faikakai Malimali) Faikakai Malimali MAKING FAIKAKAI MALIMALI: To make the coconut syrup (lolo) you firstly put the sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat and dissolve it slowly. Before it boils add in the coconut cream and stir until the mixture thickens. Set aside to let the mixture cool down. INGREDIENTS: (to serve approximately 8 people) For the coconut syrup (lolo) 1 cup sugar 1 cup coconut cream For dumplings (topais) 2 cups plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1½ cups shredded coconut 2 ripe bananas (mashed) 1 vanilla bean (grated) 2 tablespoons sugar ½ cup water 3 tablespoons butter Start boiling a large pot of water before making the dumplings (topais) and then lower the temperature to let it simmer. While this is happening mix the flour, baking powder, bananas, sugar, vanilla, and just a ½ cup of the shredded coconut in a bowl. After mixing the ingredients gradually add ½ cup of water and continue mixing to form a dry dough. Break this dough and roll into spheres about the size of golf balls and place these in the pot of simmering water. Boil the dumplings gently for about 15 minutes or until cooked right through. Once cooked let the dumplings drain and set aside to cool down. Melt the butter in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 cup of shredded coconut and stir this in the pan until the coconut turns golden. Now put the dumplings in the pan and coat with the coconut for a couple of minutes. Remove the dumplings carefully. The final step is to serve the dumplings with the coconut syrup that was prepared earlier and enjoy! Tongan children love sports like netball and rugby too – you could burn off some energy after eating the treats! CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA FACT SHEETS Science Says: Fresh Water Facts Many of these facts about fresh water are both remarkable and alarming: • About 71 per cent of the earth’s surface is covered in water but only 2.5% of all the water on earth is freshwater. • An estimated 30 per cent of fresh water is water found in underground holding areas known as ‘aquifers’. Once the water from an aquifer has been removed the holding area can take as long as tens of thousands of years to refill. • We used to think that fresh water was as renewable and common as sunlight or wind. Now we know that there is a limited supply of it. • While people in developed countries like New Zealand have clean water available almost 24/7 from household taps, 783 million people in the world lack access to clean fresh water. • 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation such as toilets. • More than 80 per cent of wastewater that returns to rivers and seas has not had pollutants removed from it. • Every day nearly 1,000 children die from water and sanitation-related diseases. • In some countries fetching water can take so much time that often children who collect water don’t have time to go to school. • As climate change continues, wet parts of the world will get wetter and dry places will get drier. • By 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water. • People living in coastal areas, including most of us who live in the Pacific, will be exposed to higher storm surges, intrusion of salt water into freshwater aquifers, and other risks such as flooding, as sea levels rise. Whanganui River at Hiruharama, after flooding in June 2015 CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA KEY STORIES Story A: Katalina Vea’s House P27 Settlers from elsewhere in Tonga first moved to Popua, an area of land beside the lagoon on the island of Tongatapu, in 1982, after being displaced from other islands as a consequence of Cyclone Isaac. The people who built houses here accept that there are ‘environmental challenges’ inherent in living so close to a lagoon. Excessive rain causes flooding of their houses, and during high tides water can come right up to their front doors. Katalina Vea and her family bought 97 truckloads of stones and topsoil to actually reclaim some of the land on the lagoon. In 2009 they built a house out of old corrugated iron sheets on this reclaimed land. With no access to underground fresh water sources, Katalina harvested rain water from her roof. This original house had two small bedrooms and a living area. Cooking was done in an outdoor kitchen, and the toilet was in a separate outbuilding. Katalina, her husband and six children lived in this house until 2015, when her new house (built with funds donated by the Mormon Church and earnings from her son) was completed. Katalina’s original house by the sea The new house has an adjoining bathroom which means Katalina’s husband, who has gout, doesn’t have to walk very far to a bathroom at night. There is a kitchen that is detached from the house. Katalina is very happy with her new house which is larger and stronger than her original home. However, fresh water access is still an issue. Katalina and five of her neighbours have collected funds to the value of TOP 2900 to pay for connecting underground water to their homes. Although their money was given to the relevant government department several months ago, the water is still not connected. Katalina thinks it may be simpler to get a Rotomould tank to store drinking water rather than dealing with government departments! At the moment her water is stored in the containers pictured below but this water is not clean enough to drink. They use this water for washing and cleaning purposes. They buy 20 litre bottles of drinking water from the shops for drinking. This is expensive so Katalina wants to find a better solution to her fresh water problems soon. Katalina’s new house CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA KEY STORIES Story B: Soane Vili Soane Vili is the principal of Pangai primary school on the island of Lifuka (in the Ha’apai Island group). The Ha’apai Islands are made up of 62 islands, most of which are coral atolls and reefs. Only 17 of these islands are inhabited. Coral atolls are very low-lying. The highest point on Lifuka would not be more than two metres high. This means that the Ha’apai Islands are very at risk from rising sea levels, storm surges, and other big waves, such as tsunami. Soane is the chairman of Caritas Ha’apai. This means that he meets regularly with staff from Caritas Tonga to talk about ways that the people on his island can adapt to some of the effects of climate change. Soane teaches the children what to do if they think a big wave might be coming. The posters outside the classroom tell the children to go to higher ground. The Lifuka High School is on slightly higher ground, so the children could go there. However, Soane thinks the safest thing for the children to do is either to climb the cell phone tower behind the school or climb onto the school roof. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA KEY STORIES Story C: Amelia Ma’afu, Climate Change Officer P59 for Caritas Tonga Amelia Ma’afu is a staff member of Caritas Tonga. She works tirelessly to help people who are facing difficulties as a result of climate change. Amelia’s job involves: • prepositioning emergency supplies and distributing these supplies if a natural disaster occurs • gathering information from communities about the traditional farming practices which will help crops to grow in difficult climates • assisting communities to have enough fresh water supplies • speaking at public meetings about the effects of climate change in her country • working with communities and the Tongan government to come up with plans to adapt to climate change • advocating for those who don’t have a voice at local and international levels. She also speaks out for the rights of Pacific people who are facing rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events as a result of climate change. In 2014 Amelia attended the 20th COP (Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) meeting. She took with her a Caritas report called ‘Small, yet strong’, which contains stories about facing the challenge of climate change in the Pacific region. She said in her blog, It (the report) is a compilation of the voices of the poor who are the first casualties of the effects of climate change. In it we see that although the Oceania region may be small geographically, the strong voices of its people resonate from the Pacific Ocean in calling for climate justice! CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC (Y1-2) MODULE T: TONGA LESSONS T1 LEARNING OUTCOMES: • • Compare a house in Tonga with houses in New Zealand Identify the things that we need fresh water for SETTING THE SCENE Show students Poster T: Collecting Water. Katalina’s house is very close to a lagoon and she collects water from the roof. So why does she have to buy bottled water from the shop to drink? More Background Details for Teachers Katalina Vea moved to her home by the sea in 2009 with her husband and six children. When they asked for approval, the town officer just said, “If you want to reclaim the land, reclaim it.” Initially, they bought one truckload of stones, supplemented by leftover stones from construction jobs her husband and brother-inlaw were working on. In small holes of topsoil in the ground, she planted an orange tree and native plants. Along their house, other plants grow in pots. The house itself is made of recycled corrugated iron. Large packing cases provide internal walls to separate two small bedrooms from the living area, which doubles as another bedroom. Cooking (as with most basic homes in Tonga) is done in an outdoor kitchen. Her husband built a toilet outside, with the waste going to a septic tank. A broken refrigerator gathers seawater when the tide comes in, and that is used to flush the toilet. After 97 truckloads of fill to build up the land, Katalina says king tides (the highest tides of the year) don’t normally come into the house now. The family will put a few more truckloads of stones down the back of the house. When that is done, they will lay foundations for a proper house. However, Katalina is proud of their existing home because it was “all their own doing”. BRAINSTORM What is Katalina’s house made of? Katalina lives with her husband and six children. Does her house look big enough? How many rooms do you think there are in Katalina’s house? DISCUSSION Discuss details about the construction of the house: What is Katalina using to hold the roof onto her house? What is holding up the walls? Do you think that Katalina’s house would stay standing if there was a strong wind? Discuss details about the sea and other sources of water: Can you see the sea behind Katalina’s house? Can Katalina and her family drink the sea water? Why not? What could Katalina use the sea water for? Could it be dangerous living so close to the sea? How do you think Katalina collects fresh water? Do you think it will be safe to drink? What could make it unsafe to drink? How could Katalina make sure it was safe to drink? How do you collect fresh water? ACTIVITY Complete Worksheet T1a about what people need fresh water for. Or Complete Worksheet T1b about sources of fresh water in houses in New Zealand PRAYER Thank you God that there is lots of rain in most parts of New Zealand, so that most people have plenty of fresh water to drink. We pray for places in New Zealand, and in other countries, where it is hard for people to get enough water. Help us to use water carefully and not to waste it. Amen. ACTION Choose an action to do with saving water from the Lent 2017 calendar. More notes for teachers for Worksheets T1a & T1b In June 2015, Katalina’s house was actually rebuilt with funds from the Mormon Church and from her son. You might like to show the children pictures of Katalina’s new house, and discuss with the students the ways in which this house might be better than her old house. (See Story A: Katalina Vea’s House.) Despite the fact that Katalina and her family now have a stronger house, they still have difficulties getting fresh water. In 2016, Katalina and her family tried to get their house connected to an underground water supply but there has been no progress on this to date. In the meantime the only fresh water she has access to, is the water coming off the roof into the plastic containers. Because the containers are not sealed and the water on the roof is sometimes dirty, this water is not suitable for drinking. So Katalina and her family actually buy drinkable water in 20 litre bottles from the local shop. Homes near Katalina’s house can suffer from extensive flooding when there is a king tide or excessive rain. Katalina says she will need to continue to reclaim land to protect her house from flooding and salt water intrusion. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC (Y3-4) MODULE T: TONGA LESSONS LEARNING OUTCOMES • • Consider the possible consequences of living on flat land Increase student’s awareness of how much fresh water they use each day SETTING THE SCENE ACTIVITY The Tongan island group most affected by climate change are the Ha’apai Islands, consisting of 62 islands in total. Only 17 of these islands are populated. Some of the islands are volcanoes, some are low lying islands made from coral limestone, and some are atolls with ring-shaped coral reefs. In some cases people live on islands within the lagoon of the reef. In other cases people live on the reefs themselves. Coral reefs are generally very low-lying. Every person in the Ha’apai islands uses about 3 litres of water per day. Show the children a 2 litre milk container. Explain that children in Ha’apai have 1.5 x the amount of water in this container per day, for drinking, washing, doing dishes, cooking, etc. How many milk containers worth of water do you think you would use every day? BRAINSTORM Include water you drink and the water you bath or shower in. Also include the water that adults cook your food with, wash your clothes with, and do the dishes with. Ask the students what problems might occur if they lived on a very flat island with no hills, surrounded by the ocean. Use Worksheet T2a to work out how many 2 litre containers of water you would go through in a day. Think about what might happen if there was a tsunami or a storm. Think about what might happen to water wells if salt water from the sea got into them. OR Try collecting rain water for a week – either at home or at school, and see how much you can collect. What can you use the rain water for? Use Worksheet T2b. VIEW PRAYER View PowerPoint T1: Welcome to Ha’apai (Y3-4). Dear Lord, DISCUSSION Talk about some of the things the children in the Ha’apai islands do, that children in New Zealand also do. What are some things about life in the Ha’apai islands that are different to life in New Zealand? Talk about the weather. Are the Ha’apai islands hotter or colder than New Zealand? How do you know? Is the weather drier or wetter than New Zealand? In 2013 it didn’t rain in Ha’apai for four months. What is the longest amount of time that your town/region has gone without rain? Did you run out of water? What did you do to make sure you had enough water? Thank you for the rain that falls on the earth, so that plants and trees can grow, and we can have enough to eat. We pray for countries where there is very little rain. Thank you for generous people who help others by providing them with water tanks so that they have enough water. Amen. ACTION Choose an action from the Lent calendar that is about not wasting water by using it responsibly. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T2 (Y5-6) MODULE T: TONGA LESSONS T3 LEARNING OUTCOMES: • • Be aware of the amount of water used every day Investigate the cleanliness of a local stream and how water filters work TEACHER BACKGROUND Testing water quality Read Fact Sheet 4: Fresh Water in New Zealand and Fact Sheet 5: Climate Change and Fresh Water in New Zealand. Fact Sheet 4 contains a link to the LAWA (Land, Water, Air Aotearoa) website which has information about the water quality of many of New Zealand’s major water sources. Use Worksheet T3a to find out about a simple way to test water quality of a local stream. SETTING THE SCENE If you need more background information about making model water filters go to ‘Interactive water filtration’ on the website below and click on Autoplay to see how to do the experiment. Show students a 1 litre plastic milk bottle or soft drink bottle. Ask them to guess how many bottles full of water they use every day. Considering showers, baths, the number of times they flush the toilet per day, the water used to cook their meals, do the dishes, brush their teeth and wash their clothes Have students use the water calculator in the link below to find out their daily water use. www.gw.govt.nz/household-water-usecalculator VIEW View PowerPoint T2: Welcome to the Ha’apai Islands (Y5-6) BRAINSTORM It is estimated that each New Zealander uses approximately 250 litres of water per day. How many litres of water do you think people on the Ha’apai islands use every day? [The answer is about 3 litres] Ask students to compare this with the amount of water they calculated that they used every day. How could people in New Zealand cut down their water use? ACTIVITY Where does your water come from? Find out where the water that is piped into your home comes from. If you are on a town or city supply you will be able to find this information from the website of your local council. If you live in a rural area, you may get water from a local waterway. Find out if the water is treated before you use it. Where could you get clean water from if your water pipes were broken or contaminated? Are your local waterways (streams and rivers) clean? Use Worksheet T3b for students to make a model water filter. For information about how to tell if water is healthy or not, go to... www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Healthy-Stream www3.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_ filtration.html MORE ACTIVITIES The following Water Care website has some great activities to do with testing water quality and conserving water. www.watercare.co.nz/community/waterin-schools/water_quality/Pages/Water%20 Quality.aspx Scroll down the page to find Water Facts, Posters and Games. The Water Conservation game is a good one. The following website is a comprehensive fresh water testing unit of work from the Department of Conservation. www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/getting-involved/ students-and-teachers/themes/wet-feet/wetfeet.pdf DISCUSSION What could people in New Zealand do to make sure their local streams and rivers can stay clean? How could NZ students cut down the amount of water they use each day? ACTION Choose one of the actions on the Lent Calendar that is related to conserving water. Ask students to complete this action this week. PRAYER Thank you God that Aotearoa is blessed with many beautiful lakes and rivers. Help us to care for our waterways, so that our children and grandchildren will also have clean water to use. Amen. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC (Y6-7) MODULE T: TONGA LESSONS T4 LEARNING OUTCOMES: • • Understand the impact climate change is having on communities in parts of Tonga Describe the qualities of someone who is an effective advocate for others SETTING THE SCENE DISCUSSION Amelia Ma’afua is an example of someone who brings about the Kingdom of God in practical ways. She works tirelessly to help people in Tonga who are facing difficulties as a result of climate change. Why do you think Caritas Tonga decided to employ a climate change officer? What are some of the things that Amelia does? BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS Among her jobs as Climate Change Officer are: • prepositioning emergency supplies and distributing these supplies if a natural disaster occurs • gathering information from communities about the traditional farming practices which will help crops to grow in difficult climates • assisting communities to have enough fresh water supplies • speaking at public meetings about the effects of climate change in her country • working with communities and the Tongan government to come up with plans to adapt to climate change • advocating for those who don’t have a voice at local and international levels. Which part of Amelia’s job would you enjoy the most? For more background reading about Amelia, read Story C. MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS Read Fact Sheet 1: Facts and Figures about Water Read Fact Sheet 2: Sustainable Development Goal #6 Read Fact Sheet 3: Remarkable and Alarming facts about water BRAINSTORM When you think of jobs that you might do when you leave school, have you ever thought about being a climate change officer? What do you think a climate change officer might do? Do you think we need climate change officers in New Zealand? VIEW View PowerPoint T3: Tonga’s Climate Change Officer – Amelia Ma’afu. What personal qualities would Amelia need to have in order to do her job well? What does it mean to be an advocate for others? Do you think Amelia is an inspiring person? Why or why not? How is Amelia contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6? See Fact Sheet 2: Sustainable Development Goal #6. ACTIVITY Choose one of the activities listed on Worksheet T4/5, and express your concern about global warming in either a speech, a haka or clap dance, or in a poem. VIEW View 350pacific.org/warrior-videos/ for ideas about creating hakas or clap dances about climate change. Listen to Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner speaking at the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Leaders Summit in New York City in 2014, for ideas about using poetry to persuade people to act to stop climate change: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=L4fdxXo4tnY PRAYER Help us Lord to be advocates for Pacific Island peoples who are suffering from the effects of climate change. Help us to speak out and share with others the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our own country. May we lead by example, and take steps to reduce our own carbon footprint. ACTION Invite students to choose an action from the Lent Calendar that will help them to reduce their carbon footprint. They can focus on this action for a week or for the whole of Lent. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC (Y9-10) MODULE T: TONGA LESSONS T5 LEARNING OUTCOMES: • • Define the term ‘advocate’ List the qualities of an effective advocate SETTING THE SCENE Amelia Ma’afu is an example of someone who brings about the Kingdom of God in practical ways. She works tirelessly to help people in Tonga who are facing difficulties as a result of climate change. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS As the Climate Change Officer her jobs include: • prepositioning emergency supplies and distributing these supplies if a natural disaster occurs • gathering information from communities about the traditional farming practices which will help crops to grow in difficult climates • assisting communities to have enough fresh water supplies • speaking at public meetings about the effects of climate change in her country • working with communities and the Tongan government to come up with plans to adapt to climate change • advocating for those who don’t have a voice at local and international levels. For more background reading about Amelia, read Story C. MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS Read Fact Sheet 1: Facts and Figures about Water Read Fact Sheet 2: Sustainable Development Goal #6 Read Fact Sheet 3: Remarkable and Alarming facts about water BRAINSTORM When you think of jobs that you might do when you leave school, have you ever thought about being a climate change officer? What do you think a climate change officer might do? Do you think we need climate change officers in New Zealand? VIEW View the PowerPoint, Tonga’s Climate Change Officer – Amelia Ma’afu. DISCUSSION Why do you think Caritas Tonga decided to employ a climate change officer? What are some of the things that Amelia does? What personal qualities would Amelia need to have in order to do her job well? Which part of Amelia’s job would you enjoy the most? What does it mean to be an advocate for others? Do you think Amelia is an inspiring person? Why or why not? How is Amelia contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6? See Fact Sheet 2: Sustainable Development Goal #6 ACTIVITY Choose one of the activities listed on Worksheet T4/5, and express your concern about global warming in either a speech, a haka or clap dance, or in a poem. VIEW View 350pacific.org/warrior-videos/ for ideas about creating hakas or clap dances about climate change. Listen to Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner speaking at the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Leaders Summit in New York City in 2014, for ideas about using poetry to persuade people to act to stop climate change: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=L4fdxXo4tnY PRAYER Help us Lord to be advocates for Pacific Island peoples who are suffering from the effects of climate change. Help us to speak out and share with others the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our own country. May we lead by example, and take steps to reduce our own carbon footprint. ACTION Invite students to choose an action from the Lent Calendar that will help them to reduce their carbon footprint. They can focus on this action for a week or for the whole of Lent. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC (Y11+) MODULE T: TONGA LESSONS LEARNING OUTCOMES: • • Consider the values that drive decisions about the use of natural water supplies Apply Catholic social teaching principles to decisions around water allocation SETTING THE SCENE ACTIVITY The bottled water industry is big business. In New Zealand alone there are at least 17 brands of bottled water. Worksheet T6a: What do we Value? Tensions Over Use of Ashburton Water and Worksheet T6b: The Business of Drinking Water will help students to consider the values and ethics around allocation of water resources, and invite them to apply principles of Catholic social teaching to this issue. Bottled water businesses provide jobs and generate profits for business owners. However, the question is, can New Zealand councils afford to continue to sell rights to natural water supplies to private companies? Do we have an unlimited supply of fresh water here in New Zealand? Is bottled water healthier than New Zealand tap water? Or are we wasting our money on buying bottled water? BRAINSTORM What are some advantages of allowing bottled-water companies access to our aquifers and natural springs? What are some disadvantages? What are some advantages of drinking bottled water rather than tap water? What are some disadvantages? PRAYER E te Atua, te Kaihanga o te Ao The created world is your gift to us. What we choose to do with it is our gift to you. Help us to consider carefully how our actions can affect our environment, and how our choices now will affect the quality of life of generations to come. Amen. ACTION After completing one or both of the worksheets, ask students if they think they will change their current practice around drinking bottled water. How many students have decided to change their habits after learning more about bottled water? CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T6 MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET Water Draw pictures of what you use fresh water for. We use water for… CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T1a MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET Is it Safe to Drink? Draw a circle around all the places in the house where there is water. Is the water in these places safe to drink? Are there any places in Katalina’s house where she can get clean water? CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T1b MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET T2a How Much Water Did You Use Yesterday? Underneath each picture write down the number of 2 litre containers full of water you think you used yesterday for each of these activities. Washing Drinking Clothes washing Cooking Cleaning Teeth Check with your teacher to see if your answers sound about right. Then add the numbers together. I used about 2 litre containers full of water yesterday. Now multiply this number by 2 to find out how many litres of water you used yesterday. I used about litres of water yesterday. People in the Ha’apai Islands only use about 3 litres of water per day. (One and a half 2 litre containers) Ways that I can save water are: CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET Make a Rain Gauge! A rain gauge can measure daily rainfall. WHAT YOU NEED • Clear plastic soft drink bottle • Duct tape • Small pebbles, gravel or marbles • Measuring Gauge/Ruler (laminated) WHAT TO DO 1. Cut the soft drink bottle two thirds of the way up, and place the top part of the bottle upside down into the bottom half of the bottle (see diagram below). Attach with duct tape. 2. Place pebbles, gravel or marbles into the container and add water until it is about 3cm deep. (Measure with the ruler.) 3. Paste the laminated “measuring gauge” to the side of the container. Note: The pebbles and water will make the container steady against wind and the 3 cm of water will provide a base level for measurements. 4. Place the rain gauge outside on a level surface. Make sure it is away from any overhanging tree branches or guttering. 5. Measure the rainfall at about the same time each day. Record your readings. TO MEASURE RAINFALL To accurately measure the rainfall, you must be at eye level with the top of the water. Remember that you will need to subtract the previous day’s reading from each day’s reading, to get the actual amount of rain that fell that day. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T2b MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET T3a Testing Water Quality Go to www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Healthy-Stream If possible, go and visit a local stream as a class and take notes using the eight steps identified on this web page. You may need to get some litmus paper to measure the pH of the water. Number of different plants you can see on the stream bank. Do plants on the bank of the stream look healthy? (Yes/No) Number of different animals and insects you can see on the bank of the stream. Names of animals and insects you can see. Collect some water in a clear container. Is the water clear or muddy? Describe the colour. Describe the smell. Are there particles of sediment floating in the water? How many? What is the pH of the stream? Are there any signs of erosion of the bank of the stream, or signs of fertilizer running off farmland into the stream? Take the temperature of the water; once in the sun and once in the shade. Find the average of these two measurements. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET Class Discussion Make a list of things that make water unsafe to drink. Natural things Human-made things How might you be able to tell if the water in a lake or river is healthy or unhealthy? How are animals and plants affected by the quality of water? What can people do to protect the health of water? CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T3a MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET T3b Water Filter Creation Make your own water filter to make water safe to drink. This activity is from www.cafod.org.uk YOU NEED: 500ml of water mixed with 1 tsp of cocoa powder and rice 2 litre plastic bottle scissors clean chux cloth 4 white (not dyed) paper towels or serviettes 24 cotton wool balls rolling pin plastic bag spoon some gravel washed rough-grade sand and charcoal. TIP Your nearest builders, DIY or pet centre should be able to provide clean gravel and rough-grade sand. You can rinse ordinary barbecue charcoal in a wire sieve. To wash the sand, pour a little water in to the top of your container. Let it overflow as you gently tip the container and watch the smaller particles of sand disappear with the water. Caution: Ensure charcoal has not been pretreated with petrol or other substances which may be harmful. STEP 1 STEP 4 Take a 2 litre plastic bottle, cut carefully in half. Take a fourth paper towel or serviette. Wrap 12 cotton wool balls inside it. This is your ‘cushion filter’. Fold a chux cloth four times and roll it up. This is a porous bung which can be pushed firmly into the bottle neck. Watch your hands on the cut edges. STEP 2 Turn the top half of the bottle upside-down like a funnel and place it inside the bottom half which will hold the filtered water. STEP 3 Line the top half of the bottle with three white paper towels or serviettes. Alternative: try using a paper coffee filter. It slows the flow of water allowing more time for impurities to be filtered out. Twist the edges of the towel or serviette together on the underside and push your cushion down into the top half of the bottle tightly. STEP 5 Sprinkle three parts of gravel on top of the cushion filter. Pack down tightly with a spoon leaving no gaps at the edges. STEP 6 Place 12 more cotton balls on top of the gravel layer. This is a small model water filter. We need the cotton balls and serviettes for quicker absorbency of impurities. In a bigger filter these would not be needed because the layers would be thicker and the water would spend more time filtering. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET STEP 7 STEP 8 Put the charcoal inside a plastic bag on a hard surface. Tie a knot with the handles. Using a rolling pin, carefully crush the charcoal into smaller pieces. Sprinkle three parts of sand on top of the charcoal layer. Layer two parts of charcoal on top of the gravel. Pack down tightly with a spoon leaving no gaps at the edges. The charcoal removes bacteria. Pack down tightly with a spoon leaving no gaps at the edges. Now you are ready to pour. Pour your dirty water slowly and carefully into the centre of the funnel and wait for it to trickle through the layers. THE RESULTS You’ll see that the filtered water is much cleaner. But this is a model water filter and you won’t be able to drink the water this time! To be sure that there were absolutely no bacteria in the filtered water you would need to use a bigger version of the filter with thicker layers. It would take three days for the water to filter through, but with a little more time and some more materials you could make a bigger filter. DISCUSS • What would life be like if you had to filter all your water in this way? • How would you feel waiting for the water to filter? CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T3b MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET T4 Advocate for the Vulnerable As climate change officer for Caritas Tonga, Amelia Ma’afu works hard to help those Tongans who are most at risk from the effects of climate change. Her job involves very practical things like making sure there are plenty of prepositioned supplies in case of a natural disaster, and helping to put together disaster kits when an extreme weather events occur. She also speaks out for the rights of Pacific people who are facing rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events as a result of climate change. In 2014 Amelia attended the 20th COP (Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) meeting. She took with her a Caritas report called ‘Small, yet strong’, which contains stories about facing the challenge of climate change in the Pacific region. She said in her blog: It (the report) is a compilation of the voices of the poor who are the first casualties of the effects of climate change. In it we see that although the Oceania region may be small geographically, the strong voices of its people resonate from the Pacific Ocean in calling for climate justice! WAYS OF SPEAKING OUT Choose one of the following activities: Imagine you are Amelia and you have been asked to speak at a climate change conference. Write a speech to deliver to world leaders to convince them that they need to take action to stop global warming. Watch the following video from the 350 Pacific Warriors movement 350pacific.org/warrior-videos/ Create a haka or clap dance to communicate your message about climate change in the Pacific. How will you persuade people to take the issue of climate change seriously? Listen to Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner speaking at the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Leaders Summit in New York City in 2014. www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4fdxXo4tnY Create your own poem about the effects that climate change will have on New Zealand. For information on the projected effects of climate change in this country, go to www.royalsociety.org.nz/climatechange-implications-for-new-zealand CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T5 MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET What do we Value? Ashburton Water Tension In April 2016, residents of Ashburton staged a public protest against their council’s decision to sell rights to local water to a bottled-water company. Ashburton District Council proposed selling the company, NZ Pure Blue, the right to extract 40 billion litres of water from underground aquifers over the period 2016 – 2046. The Ashburton region is already drought-prone. Can it afford to give away the rights to 45 litres of underground water every second for the next thirty years? Those who support the decision say that the council will ‘recharge’ the aquifers by 60 litres per second from a water race. They also said that NZ Pure Blue would provide jobs for 100 local people. In June 2016, Ashburton residents followed up their protest march by presenting a petition to the council containing 40,000 signatures. This is a significant number when you consider that Ashburton district only has a population of 33,000. Saturday, April 16, 2016. Source: One News To read the whole story go to www.stuff.co.nz/business/78524014/ashburton-councillor-attacksplan-to-sell-40-billion-litres-of-canterbury-water WHAT DO YOU THINK? Is job creation more important than conserving natural water supplies? Does the Council have the right to make this decision against the wishes of a large proportion of the region’s population? CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T6a MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET How should our precious water resources be allocated? ACTIVITIES: • List the values you believe are held by the members of the Ashburton District Council • List the values held by those who are protesting against the council’s decision • Investigate what has happened in Ashburton since this protest in 2016. Has the Council gone ahead with its decision to sell rights to local water to NZ Pure Blue? • How might you apply the Catholic social teaching principles of ‘Stewardship’ and ‘the Common Good’ to help you make good decisions about this issue? Discuss as a class • Have a class debate on the topic, ‘That the Ashburton district council should sell water from its aquifers to NZ Pure Blue’. There are some ideas below to get you started. ARGUMENTS FOR: • • • • The area’s underground water is popular in overseas markets like China, as it carries the clean, green New Zealand image. The bottling company will create jobs for local people for 30 years. A normal farm irrigation system takes 60 litires of water per second. Therefore, 45 litres per second is not concerning. The resource consent included a recharge consent which means that all water taken from the aquifers must be replaced from other sources. ARGUMENTS AGAINST: • • • • The Council have ignored the feelings of local people, many of whom object to the water being sold to what they believe is an overseas-based company. The Council have failed to honour the Treaty of Waitangi. They have not talked to Ngai Tāhu about the deal or considered the needs of future generations for water resources. The bottling company will create billions of plastic bottles which will add to the huge amount of plastic waste already in our environment. Water supplies are under a great deal of stress in the region, and as much as possible should be conserved for future generations. CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T6a T6b The Business of Drinking Water More and more companies are bottling New Zealand water. Is selling water to bottled-water companies an ethical thing to do? How can we make just decisions about how natural water resources are allocated in Aotearoa? Read the following excerpts from The Business of Drinking Water, The Gamma Series of the Royal Society of New Zealand, May 2004. The bottled water industry alone has seen New Zealanders consuming about 40 million litres in 2003 at a cost of over $20 million. Consumers are paying more for a litre of water than they pay for petrol – but are they pouring their money down the drain? People see bottled water as being ‘healthier’ and the good old kitchen tap is getting a bad rap. However, some common practices with sipper bottles and home water filters may actually be causing health problems. OUT OF THE TAP New Zealand has some of the most monitored drinking water in the world. The latest survey of tap drinking water quality, released in December 2003 by the Ministry of Health, shows that 78 per cent of New Zealanders had access to safe drinking water. This was an 8 per cent rise on the previous year’s survey. This means that about 2.72 million people in New Zealand enjoyed clean tap water in 2002, an increase of about 300,000. This does not mean the rest of the population necessarily received unsafe drinking water, it is just that the Ministry of Health cannot check whether the water is safe everywhere. Many of these were private domestic supplies or small rural supplies that were either not monitored or were monitored inadequately. TAP WATER SUPPLIES About 40 per cent of New Zealand’s drinking water is pumped from the ground (artesian), with the remainder coming from surface sources. The simplest water supply is a well with a pipe from it, or a pipe from a river or lake, perhaps with a pump and storage tank. As the number of people serviced from a supply grows, a treatment plant is required to remove actual or potential contaminants and ensure the water delivered is safe to drink. TESTS ON BOTTLED WATER In October 1999, the Consumers’ Institute tested 17 brands of bottled water sold in New Zealand. An Australian brand called ‘Snowy Mountain Natural Spring Water’ which claimed to be ‘natural’, ‘organic’, ‘fresh and pure’, and ‘free of any pollution’, had the same chemical profile as fluoridated tap water. The study also found little difference between those labelled as mineral waters and Auckland and Christchurch tap water which they also tested. The survey also points out that, although water is good for you, the mineral content of mineral water is too small to have any impact on your health – diet is our main source of minerals. In 2001, a report commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund International and published in the German environmental journal Ambio said that “in most developed countries, bottled water may be no safer, or healthier, than tap water. In at least 50 per cent of instances it is of the same standard as tap water with added minerals and salts.” CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC Credit: www.publicdomainpictures.net MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET MODULE T: TONGA WORKSHEET PROBLEMS WITH BOTTLED WATER . . . AND WATER BOTTLES Bottled water, unless it comes straight from the tap, usually contains much less fluoride than tap water. Natural spring water usually has around 0.1 parts per million (ppm). Tap water with added fluoride usually has between 0.7 to 1 ppm. People who believe that fluoride is an unnecessary or unhealthy additive to our drinking water are pleased that there is a low fluoride alternative to tap water. However, there have been some concerns from dentists that consumption of bottled and distilled water is removing too much fluoride from the diets of young people – causing an increase in cavities. As well as the bottled water itself, some dentists are also concerned about the use of sipper bottles. There is evidence that the sipper bottle might be pulling youngsters’ teeth about and when a sipper bottle contains juice or sports drinks rather than water, the constant sipping of such drinks is causing a sustained ‘acid attack’ on the teeth of the young. Another issue is the refilling of sipper bottles. Without proper washing the drinking apparatus can become a source of bacteria. This problem is compounded when sipper bottles are shared between people. The sharing of any drink bottles, and the resulting saliva exchange, has been highlighted as a way to pass on meningococcal meningitis – a disease which can be fatal. ACTIVITIES • List the advantages and disadvantages of drinking bottled water instead of tap water • Find out how many of your class-mates regularly drink bottled water. What are their reasons for doing this? • What are some environmental problems that might result from so many people buying bottled water? • Engage in a class debate. The topic is ‘That drinking bottled water is bad for the environment.’ THINKING ABOUT CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING... How might the CST principle of stewardship help you make a good decision about whether or not to buy bottled water? How might the CST principle of common good impact on your decision? To read the whole report from the Royal Society of New Zealand on bottled water, go to: www. royalsociety.org.nz/teaching-learning/resources/gamma/drinking-water For more information on the quality of drinking water in NZ, go to: www.drinkingwater.org.nz – this is a website administered by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR). CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC T6b MODULE T: TONGA PowerPoint Stories and Videos PowerPoint T1: Welcome to Ha’apai (Y3-4) PowerPoint T2: Welcome to the Ha’apai Islands (Y5-6) PowerPoint T3: Tonga’s Climate Change Officer - Amelia Ma’afu Story A: Katalina Vea’s House Story B: Soane Vili Story C: Amelia Ma’afu, Climate Change Officer for Caritas Tonga Relevant Websites 350 Pacific 350pacific.org Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand www.caritas.org.nz Department of Conservation (Wet Feet unit) www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/getting-involved/students-and-teachers/themes/wet-feet/wet-feet.pdf Drinking Water for New Zealand www.drinkingwater.org.nz Greater Wellington Regional Council (Water use calculator) www.gw.govt.nz/household-water-use-calculator The Royal Society of New Zealand www.royalsociety.org.nz Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme www.sprep.org/climate-change/ Tonga Environment and Climate Change ecc.gov.to/ Watercare (Water field trip lessons) www.watercare.co.nz/community/water-in-schools/water_quality/Pages/Water%20Quality.aspx CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND JUST WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC