SWOT Analysis on Rivers(ISA Activity)

ISA Activity- River, The life Giver

Activity  2 : SWOT Analysis on a River

Grade involved: Year 9

 SWOT Methodology

The acronym SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses can be regarded as internal factors whereas opportunities and threats stand for external factors. The SWOT analysis gives the possibility to develop a strategy which can help to tackle the weaknesses and threats. 

Internal factors–inside environment (in the basin)External factors–outside environment (factors exists inside the country/region) 

  

SWOT Matrix

->Physical features- landforms ->Quality of waters ->Uses of waters ->Ecological status  ->Quantity of water ->Waste water treatment ->Protected natural areas around ->Drainage network ->Hydroelectric power	->Economic development – Farming, Fishing and other industries, Dam building ->Social development – Recreation, Tourism, fishing etc, Drinking water crisis solutions –Reservoirs, etc ->Environmental – Forestry, Protection of natural and agricultural areas
->Drinking water crisis ->Floods ->High pressure due to urban development ->Erosional and depositional features increasing ->Urban development -> No monitoring ->Over exploitation ->Deterioration of water quality	->Tourist related problems ->Water contamination(Farming, industry, domestic etc) ->Garbage disposal, Sewerage and waste water management ->HEP spoiling landscape ->Effect on River ecosystems ->Eutrophication and Salinization

 Taking up the baton from the Grades-7 and 8, my Grade 9 students continued to study the same rivers - Ganges, Mississippi, Nile, Thames and Yangtze with a more in-depth analysis. 

 

           The Activity Description

• The students were briefed upon the geographical importance of a river, the power of River erosion and River deposition
• As an introductory activity, the students watched a movie - 'Landforms Rivers' and 'The Niagara tour'
• They were then divided into teams based on 5 important rivers of the world i.e. Ganges, Mississippi, Nile, Thames and Yangtze
• The students were also lectured by the Environmental Management Faculty, Mr Sudarshan on the environmental impacts of river pollution, water contamination and building dams on plant, wild life and hums
• The students were then given an orientation on the information they need to collect about their assigned river
• The students discussed in groups, researched the internet and browsed through books in the library
• The teams prepared the SWOT analysis of the river assigned to them.
• The teams prepared SWOT quadrant charts in the class and presented it to the rest of the teams
• The students assessed their peers by completing the peer assessment forms.

You can find their SWOT details in the links below.(The blogs were created by students themselves)

River Ganges - Josiah, Anjali and Rami

http://swotganges.blogspot.in/

River Thames - Amrutha, Kruthika and Pramodini

http://riverthamesisa.blogspot.in/

River Mississippi - Sneh, Emmanuel and Shaun 

http://swotmississippi.blogspot.in/2016/01/swot-analysis-on-river-mississippi.html

River Nile - Vinisha, Blessy and Swathi

http://nileswotanalysis.blogspot.in/

River Yangtze - Chandhana, Jahnavi and Nideep

http://newbloggmail.blogspot.in/2015/12/swot-analysis-on-river-yangtze.html

Some of the snippets of the activity

SWOT

Here are teachers giving an orientation on the river landforms and explaining the project's aim.

This is Ox bow lake and cliff slip off slop-lecture.

Now then without further ado, let's meet the river teams.

Here are the students watching a movie on land form coasts. How exciting; and below is also the teachers giving an orientation on preparation for the SWOT analysis.

Now the students are busy collecting information and research on their allotted rivers, in the library and on the internet.

After a lot of research they took their time and prepared the SWOT charts with all the information they just researched about.

Now for the presentation of The completed SWOT analysis along with the chart itself.

Overall the SWOT analysis and the ISA project on River-The life Giver surely taught each and every one of the students a new topic of one of the Earth's vast mysteries!