2. Water is a richly complex substance without which there would be
no life as we know it.
It is like no other substance of earth, which makes it unique, and mysterious .
Scientists can help us understand why water is so essential to life, but they do not
fully comprehend its chemical and physical properties, nor do they know where it
came from, why it exists, or what it means; it is mysterious .
Artists recognize the mysterious effects of water has on human perception,
psyche, and the spirit, but do not comprehend its role in physical life .
Long before scientists began to examine its properties, water was firmly
established as the mysterious sacred source of life and its substance and
symbology was deeply woven into the fabric of the world's religions .
3. Water is vital to our physical life, but it also sustains our mental and spiritual
lives. Uniquely, we respond to water as itself and as a metaphor of itself,
and we find pleasure, contentment, and meaning in both simultaneously
This seminar asks if water is simply a naturally occurring planetary
phenomenon, like rocks and air, or is it something "special" to human existence
By bringing together the various human responses to water (religious, artistic,
scientific), this seminar seeks to understand better the nature of its mystery and it
meaning in our lives and in the life of this planet
The first great civilizations emerged alongside water; the great riverine
cultures of the Nile, the Tigris and Euphrates, the Indus, the Yangtze
4. .
Water is our lifeline that bathes us and feeds us. In ancient cultures
water represented the very essence of life. The Romans were the first to
pipe water into their growing cities, especially with their aqueducts. They
also realized that sewage water could cause damage to their people, and
needed to be removed from large areas of people.
Water has played a role not only in the history of countries, but in
religion, mythology, and art. Water in many religions cleanses the soul
through holy water. For example, the water at Lourdes, France is
thought by many religions to be sacred water with healing powers. In
Egyptian mythology, the Nu was the beginning of everything and
represented water. It brought life to their people, but in drought,
produced chaos.
Water has always been perceived as a gift from the gods as it rained from
the heavens.
9. AVOIDING WASTAGE
BETTER MANAGEMENT OF WATER
BETTER MANAGEMENT OF IRRIGATION
RECYCLING OF WATER
BUILDING DAMS AND RESERVOIRS
PLANTING TREES
TREATING SEWAGE AND FACTORY WASTES
USING BIODEGRDABLE FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES
RAIN WATER HARVESTING