Ateneo Department of Environmental Science, British Geological Survey collaborate on groundwater awareness campaign

In a concerted effort to raise awareness about groundwater and promote sustainable water management practices, the Ateneo Department of Environmental Science, led by Dr. Maria Aileen Leah G. Guzma with Ms. Maria Ersie Sa-onoy, joined forces with the British Geological Survey (BGS, UK) headed by Dr. Andrew Barkwith, Principal Numerical Modeler, along with Mr. Andrew McKenzie, Dr. Majdi Mansour, and Dr. Susanne Sargeant. Together, they conducted an Information, Education, and Communications (IEC) campaign on February 13, 2023, at Isabela-2 Central Elementary School.

The campaign aimed to educate students and faculty members about groundwater, its significance, and the importance of preserving this vital resource. Around 600 students and 30 faculty members actively participated and engaged in the event. Mr. McKenzie, a hydrogeologist, taught the students about the basics of groundwater. After the lecture, the team trained the teachers on how to conduct simple experiments using ordinary materials such as buckets and food coloring of which they can alternatively utilize in their classrooms to demonstrate the principles needed to understand groundwater, pollution, and water conservation.

Isabela-3 Central Elementary School located at Isabela, Negros Occidental is headed by Ms. Corazon G. Miranda, Principal II under the supervision of Dr. Danilo L. Esmane, PSDS. The IEC campaign is part of the department's mission to form technically competent, socially responsible, and culturally rooted environmental practitioners while generating new knowledge and providing sustainable solutions. The campaign serves as a tool not only to share knowledge but also to instill positive change towards people's understanding of groundwater. Finally, the event is part of the deliverables of the expanded PhiGO project headed by BGS.

The funding for the IEC campaign was generously provided by the UK-NERC and the Ateneo de Manila University. This initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.