Conserving rivers and freshwater via photography program

KOTA KINABALU: WWF-Malaysia, with the support of HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad, will organise a photography programme titled “Water Voice this coming World Water Day”, to engage youths aged 20-30 years old on the importance of conserving rivers and freshwater.

World Water Day is held annually on March 22nd as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

World Water Day is celebrated around the world and shines the spotlight on a different water issue every year. Given water’s essential role for development, the theme for World Water Day 2015 is ‘Water and Sustainable Development’.

Using a methodology called Photo voice, Water Voice participants will be capturing photographs related to rivers and freshwater conservation based on their personal understanding and representing a message of what they perceive to be of utmost importance when it comes to freshwater.

WWF-Malaysia hopes to create a coffee-table book on freshwater conservation in Sabah using a selection of the best photographs from the programme.

WWF-Malaysia Head of Conservation for Sabah Bernard Tai said the photographs, together with the descriptions created by participants, are aimed to spark a discussion and inspire changes within the community.

“Through the Water Voice programme, we hope to understand the urban public’s perceptions on what the river means to them and as the next step, what they think they can do to conserve the rivers.

“WWF-Malaysia hopes to use Water Voice to document the knowledge of the participants, where innovative or simple solutions to solve river pollution will come from the people themselves and not from government or nongovernmental organizations,” he said in a statement yesterday.

HSBC Bank Malaysia Head of Corporate Sustainability Jessica Tang said HSBC is honoured to support WWF on this exciting initiative, which serves as a platform to create awareness among the younger generation on the importance of managing, conserving and ensuring the sustainable use of our freshwater resources.

“Supply of good quality water is critical and plays an important role in sustenance of a community and its development,” she said.

Water Voice is part of the three-year project by WWF-Malaysia which focuses on promoting freshwater ecosystem conservation in Sabah, and aims to promote and support improved management of freshwater habitats within key river basins in Sabah’s terrestrial landscape, as well as to create awareness among civil society.

The Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation of Universiti Malaysia Sabah is hosting this first ever event within their premises.