The Austria-Uganda School Art Exhibition on Water

For World Water Day 2002, students from nine schools from Austria and ten schools from Uganda were asked to express their response to the theme for this year, Water for Development.

The results of this project are impressive, not only demonstrating the high level of creativity by the students, but also their commitment to the Earth and its environment.

    • the differences between water in Austria versus Africa through
       pantomime and drama

    • the joy that water brings to our lives are reflected from a child's
       perspective through songs, art, and games

    • the science of water through projects on purification, circulation,
       chemistry and more

    • the importance of protecting and conserving water through self
       discovery

The idea of the project was not just to raise awareness about the importance of water, but also to develop a relationship between the schools in both countries and support the environmental component of their curricula. All levels of schools, primary through secondary, participated in both countries. It is hoped that the relationships started with the World Water Day project will continue throughout the school year, so that sister schools in both countries can develop a meaningful North-South dialogue.

The exhibit will open at the Vienna International Center in Austria, the headquarters of the IAEA at 09:00 (CET) on March 22nd and will continue until March 27th. It will then move to the Schulzentrum Ungarngasse 69, Vienna, 1030 where it will be open to the public from April 8th until April 27 between 8:30 and 16:00.

Through participating and sharing their creative experiences, children from two continents have improved their knowledge and awareness of the importance of water. And it is this knowledge and awareness that they will carry with them into the future, as they become future managers, leaders, and guardians of the water on Earth.

The art exhibit and schools project was made possible with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Governments of Austria and Uganda, and the Austrian Development Co-operation. The Austrian Development Co-operation is also supporting Uganda's efforts to improve their water resources management, through the South-Western Towns Water Sanitation Project. The IAEA is providing technical assistance through a pilot project.

See a list of the Participating Schools.