Why World Water Day?
World Water Day highlights the importance of water and inspires action to tackle the global water crisis. This year, the theme is glacier preservation, emphasising the need to protect Earth’s frozen water resources for future generations.
Did you know? In 2023 alone, glaciers lost over 600 gigatons of water - equivalent to 240 million Olympic pools or 44 times Australia water consumption in 2022.[1][2] This marks the highest mass loss recorded in five decades of record-keeping. Glaciers meltwater is essential for drinking water, agriculture, industry, clean energy production and healthy ecosystems. But due to climate change - mainly driven by human activities since the 1800s[3] - our frozen world is shrinking, making the water cycle more unpredictable.[4]
For billions of people, glaciers meltwater means floods, droughts, landslides and sea level rise, including impacts here in Australia. Preserving glaciers is a survival strategy, requiring urgent action to cut emissions and manage water sustainably.
Driving climate action and water conservation at UNSW
While Australia has no glaciers, our efforts to mitigate climate change can help slow global temperature rise and protect our frozen water. UNSW is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 through:
- Measuring and reporting our annual greenhouse gas emissions to guide reduction strategies. (Check our interactive carbon dashboards and annual reports);
- electrifying all campuses by 2030 and sourcing 100% renewable electricity (read more in the Clean energy spotlight);
- switching our investments to low-carbon strategies and divesting investments in fossil fuel companies; and
- engaging our suppliers to reduce their emissions by applying the Sustainable Procurement Framework.
We are also conserving water on campus by:
- optimising building water efficiency with low-flow taps, low-flush toilets, and water-efficient cooling towers - reducing our water use intensity by 20% since 2018.
- recharging the Botany Sands aquifer beneath UNSW by collecting stormwater in The Village Green stormwater tank (the size of 6 Olympic pools) located under the soccer field. 40% of total water consumed on campus comes from non-potable water sourced from this aquifer.
Who’s working on solutions right here at UNSW?
This month we are spotlighting Associate Professor Laurie Menviel from the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences.
- Can you share a quick summary of your project or work in one sentence?
My main interest is on the oceanic circulation. In particular, through a combination of numerical modelling and use of past or present observations, I try to understand how the oceanic circulation has changed in the past, and what the impact of these changes is on oceanic circulation, the carbon cycle and ice-sheets.
- How does your work contribute to the theme of world water day Glacier Preservation?
Given that ice and meltwater discharges from icesheets can significantly impact the oceanic circulation, and changes in oceanic circulation affect ice-sheets through variations in ocean and air temperature, my work also contributes to better understanding of past and future changes in Greenland and Antarctic ice-sheets and their impact on climate.
- What’s the most exciting or surprising thing about what you do?
Seeing how interconnected the Earth’s system is, for example the ice-sheets impact the climate and the carbon cycle, and these changes in turn affect the ice-sheets. Sometimes, the changes amplify each other, leading to abrupt climate change.
- Who’s a researcher or project you’d recommend we keep an eye on in this space?
The Australian centre for excellence in Antarctic Science (https://antarctic.org.au/), of which UNSW is a part of, is bringing together scientists with a diverse range of expertise to advance our knowledge of changes in Antarctic ice-sheet and their impact on the Southern Ocean.
We all have a role to play, and it starts at UNSW.
We all have a role to play in climate action and glacier preservation:
📈 Explore the key emissions sources of your Division or Faculty through the interactive carbon dashboards and contribute to UNSW climate mission by following sustainable procurement guidance.
✈️ Challenge yourself to take one less international and domestic flight this year.
🚴 Get active and come to campus via active and public transport.
🌿 Prioritise vegan and vegetarian food options and avoid food waste to reduce land and resource use and the greenhouse gases released in the process (check the impacts of diverse food options here).
Need inspiration?
📅 Attend a presentation and afternoon tea on glacier retreat and its impact on Australia’s sea levels, and climate. Wednesday, 26 March | 2-3 PM | Science & Engineering Building (E8), Room G07. (Registration required here).
Happy World Water Day!