Celebrate World Water Day 2009 with films, discussions

TODAY, March 23, 6:30 p.m.
UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307

Welcome to World Water Day 2009, to be celebrated on the UAA campus TODAY, March 23. Special events include information about fresh water and documentary films on the world's water resources. Discussions, refreshments and snacks are all on the agenda.

The short film One Water (2008) celebrates all the myriad ways water has touched human lives around the globe -- and explores our changing relationship to water as it grows ever more perilously scarce. It is visually and musically a beautiful film, filmed in 15 countries in both hemispheres, and shows the importance of water to humanity.

The short film Walking on the Country of Spirits tells a story of an Australian Kuku Nyungkal Aboriginal woman living on her ancestors' traditional land. Marilyn and her family have been living here the ancestral way -- far removed from the services and conveniences of modern life -- as part of the sublime performance of nature.

The After the Storm (2004) clip was co-produced by The Weather Channel and the Environmental Protection Agency. It highlights three case studies where polluted runoff threatens watersheds highly valued for recreation, commercial fisheries and navigation, and drinking water. Scientists and water quality experts and citizens involved in local and national watershed protection efforts provide insight into the problems.

Also featured will be the episode of Fresh Water from the Vermont-based documentary series Emerging Science. The show discusses the status of fresh water across the U.S., and highlights case studies and research programs -- from coastal Maine to the Mississippi bayou to the dry landscapes of the West. What are scientists doing to ensure clean water for our future?

The United Nation's international Water Day is celebrated worldwide annually on March 22 to draw attention to the importance of fresh water and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This year's theme is Transboundary Waters.

This event is hosted by the Resilience and Adaptive Management Group (RAM) and the UAA Chancellor's Office. Events begin at 6:30 p.m. in the UAA Consortium Library, Room 307.

For more information contact event coordinator Hanna Eklund at anhme@uaa.alaska.edu or (907) 789-7749.