Clean water simply comes out of the tap and costs next to nothing. You don’t really need to worry about it… That’s probably what many people in Germany have thought for a long time, and it is correspondingly difficult to convey the significance and scope of the issue.

However, it is now becoming increasingly clear here too what has long been the case in other regions of the world: water is a scarce and extremely valuable resource – one that is coming under ever-greater pressure due to climate change. Here in Germany, the agricultural sector has been suffering for quite some time from too much or (more often) too little water in the fields and meadows. But an increasing number of towns and local authorities are now also having to declare water emergencies in the summer and call on the public to save water. And then, of course, there are the extreme weather events that can lead to devastating disasters such as the 2021 Ahr Valley floods.

In other parts of the world, people have long been aware of the importance of water for life and the economy. Not least because clean drinking water does not simply always come out of the tap. In many parts of the world, people are still reliant on wells and water points, and often have to travel long distances to obtain this vital resource. Contaminated water also poses a health risk and causes disease. Added to this is often another problem: inadequate hygiene and sanitation provision, both in private and public spaces.

In summary, the three areas of water, hygiene and sanitation are combined in a joint ‘WASH’ approach, which is pursued by many organisations involved in international development cooperation, including our client, Viva con Agua.

Bringing both – the situations in the Global North and South – together in a single format and making the topic tangible for young people (especially) in Germany was one of the challenges of this project. On the one hand, because life in Germany is, after all, very different from that in, say, Uganda, and common ground had to be found. On the other hand, because the topic is multifaceted, complex and, in some respects, technical, and had to be broken down for the target group.

The result is a simulation game in which participants attempt to improve the situation regarding water security and hygiene in their countries through various measures and actions, whilst the effects of their actions are directly reflected back to them by the game facilitators. As with any good simulation game, however, the focus is naturally on the negotiation process between the participating actors and the adoption of different perspectives.

The collaboration with Viva con Agua was particularly enriching; they contributed a great deal of expertise on the subject and insights from their projects to the simulation game, thereby making the format even more realistic. The simulation game is now being used in workshops organised by Viva con Agua. We wish them every success and hope they enjoy it!