The intersection of major regional and international events, such as the 9th Cairo Water Week and the United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, highlights the complex humanitarian and psychological reality faced by displaced families and communities. In Egypt, Sudanese families displaced due to war and forced migration struggle to cope with their new reality. Dr. Sahar Mousa, an expert from Egypt, emphasizes the importance of investing in environmental and behavioral awareness among young generations.
Forced displacement and migration have a profound impact on the psychological and educational fabric of families. Children who have lost their homes and secure environments deal with essential resources, including water, from a perspective of trauma and future anxiety. However, when children learn to manage water resources consciously, they transform from passive victims to active agents capable of protecting their environment and conserving resources in their new communities.
Organized household practices that promote water conservation can create stability and behavioral predictability, reducing the psychological tension associated with refugee and asylum experiences. By linking water awareness to their hydrological roots in the Nile Basin, children can understand that conserving water in their host community is an extension of the same resource that nourishes their native land, fostering a sense of regional unity and belonging to a sustainable planet.
Children absorb environmental concepts quickly when transformed into interactive and enjoyable practices that integrate daily behavior with play and positive challenges. Innovative daily habits, such as allocating a specific water bottle to each child, caring for personal items, and using buckets and sponges for cleaning, can promote water conservation. These practices can be supplemented by interactive activities and live experiments, such as the "little detective" game, which visualizes water waste.
The "little detective" game involves adding food coloring to toilet tanks to detect invisible leaks, making individual waste tangible and challenging families to save water. Other activities, such as family competitions to promote water-saving habits during personal hygiene, and smart recycling practices in the kitchen, can engage children in water conservation. These initiatives can empower families and promote a sense of responsibility among young people.
Major events, such as the "Water for the Planet" dialogue, co-chaired by Egypt and Japan, place the responsibility of bridging the gap between international conferences and individual behavior on community leaders and family counselors. As experts in psychology, family, and social counseling, it is essential to provide displaced families and young people with the tools to become active agents in their communities, rather than just offering psychological support.
Instilling a culture of environmental conservation in the minds of displaced and refugee children can transform their experience of displacement from a state of uprooting to an opportunity to build a conscious and responsible personality. When children understand that conserving water in their temporary homes contributes to protecting the planet and their native land, they regain a sense of psychological well-being and internal security, becoming active individuals in achieving sustainable peace and prosperity.
Key points
- Dr. Sahar Mousa emphasizes the importance of investing in environmental and behavioral awareness among young generations.
- Organized household practices can promote water conservation and reduce psychological tension.
- Interactive activities and live experiments can engage children in water conservation and promote a sense of responsibility.
