To mark World Water Day, The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) has published an educational guidebook to raise awareness of water conservation in the Arab world.
The programme, in collaboration with United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture, is part of a regional initiative to promote education about sustainable development in the Arab world.
“EAD took the lead in the planning and development of a water educational programme for the Unesco Associated Schools Project Network in the Arab world, because of our extensive experience in delivering engaging and impactful environmental education initiatives,” said Fozeya Al Mahmoud, director of environmental outreach.
The guidebook is a key part of the project, and is a tool that will enable teachers and pupils to carry out educational activities and programmes that have been delivered within the Unesco network.
She said addressing water issues and challenges was particularly pertinent to the region because of the scarcity of the resource.
The Arab world covers 10 per cent of the world’s surface yet receives only 2 per cent of the global average rainfall and an estimated 0.3 per cent of renewable water resources in the world each year. As a result, education and awareness plays a vital role in engaging pupils to address these challenges.
Amal Al Koos, from the Ministry of Education, said: “The new approach is to instil sustainability concepts, not only in Unesco schools but across all schools at different stages, and to introduce them at the heart of the educational process, practices and activities.”
She said that schools were working towards achieving a strategic goal of providing pupils with the information for a future where protecting the environment was part of everyone’s responsibility.
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