This year again, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the Centre for Systems Solutions celebrate World Water Day together. Under the theme Wastewater, we present games that address the problem of reconciling demand and supply as well as other water-related challenges.
What is World Water Day?
World Water Day was established as “an opportunity to learn more about water related issues”. It was first celebrated on March 22nd 1993, and since then it has been held annually. Each year, UN-Water sets different theme for World Water Day which is usually related to the world’s most urgent current affairs.
According to the UN-Water website:
Globally, the vast majority of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused – polluting the environment, and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.
Why Water Games?
It is enough to take a quick glimpse at contemporary mass media to realise that gaming is becoming part of its mainstream. But at the same time, new ways to apply games to real life are being invented – more and more often they are used to solve complex problems. The so-called serious games are meant not to offer escape from reality as to improve it.
The world around us is constantly evolving, making our future even less certain. Meanwhile serious games emerge as innovative tools for learning, decision making, improving effective collaboration and developing successful strategies. The question is how can we benefit from their potential? The list of things we can learn from them is endless. We may move around some complex realities and make decisions without bearing the real costs of our mistakes. Moreover, in order to address people’s need of challenge, the games offer a possibility for collaboration and competition, allow players to alter their habits or even motivate them to adopt sustainable behaviors.
Games draw people’s attention to serious problems, such as i.a. water issues. Let’s go back to the initiative that promotes active attitude towards water management and inspires positive change in this respect – World Water Day.
Join us in celebrations, for example, by playing some serious games you find on the Water Games website. Let us know what you think about them! Don’t forget to leave comments here and on our social media!
