NREB mulls bringing environmental education to kindies

MELAKA: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is eyeing to make environmental education ( EE) as a subject to be taught from kindergarten to university by 2019, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

He said the effort is aligned with the ministry’s plan to instil an appreciation and a sense of caring for the environment from an early age.

“We have to admit today, waste has become a crucial environmental problem that is too big to be ignored since our country is expected to produce 30,000 tons of waste each day by 2020. Every day 3,000 tones of edible food ends up as waste that goes to landfills where that amount of food would feed around two million people.

We have to admit today, waste has become a crucial environmental problem that is too big to be ignored since our country is expected to produce 30,000 tonnes of waste each day by 2020. Every day 3,000 tons of edible food ends up as waste that goes to landfills where that amount of food would feed around two million people. Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment

“If nothing is done to change this, the amount of waste generated will continue to increase due to the increasing population and development, especially in urban areas,” he said in his opening speech at the sixth International Eco- Schools Conference 2017.

His speech text was read by Department of Environment deputy director general of Development, Ismail Ithnin.

The conference themed ‘Waste Management and its Impact on Nature and Biodiversity’ is attended by 71 students and 27 teachers from 27 schools across Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, aimed at creating a platform of opportunity for students to exercise leadership skills and boost their confidence through interactions. — Bernama