Students empowered in a Conference on Water and Sustainability
SUNGKAI, Perak: The seventh WWF-Malaysia’s International Eco-Schools Conference (IESC) commenced from 9 to 13 December 2018 at SMK Sungkai with participation by schools from Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. Every year, more than 100 Eco-Schools students gather to share and exchange knowledge on their schools’ environmental initiatives. This inspiring platform is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and this year’s focus is - Water, the Source of Life.
In recent years, Malaysia has seen a higher frequency and more intense dry spells, which has affected water resources in many parts of the country. Apart from field trips, the conference also features expert speakers from the water industry to speak on this growing concern.
“We use water daily, yet the average user knows so little about the challenging journey water takes to reach everyone. Globally, our rivers face many threats such as plastic pollution and sedimentation (due to logging in water catchments) and so on, said Datin Daria Mathew, WWF-Malaysia’s Senior Manager for Freshwater Conservation. “We need to empower every water user, such as the IESC delegates, about freshwater conservation so they can make informed and better choices for our planet.”
She added “This is why WWFMalaysia organises freshwaterthemed events such as the Journey of Water and the Water Quest, and this year, we are proud to have a freshwater-themed IESC for the first time.”
YBhg. Datin Sri Hajah Nor Zamani from the Ministry of Education commented, “The third shift of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 to 2025 aims to develop values-driven Malaysians”. This conference prepares students to face the issues of environmental degradation. When they are exposed beyond the school ground and are connected to the global awareness - they will become individuals with a strong conscience. This is one of the virtues of education - to develop holistic students that value a balanced view and harmony.”
She added “I hope the conference will also discuss other areas of the SDGs in relation to water, focusing not only the issues but also approaches to solve the problems in a long run”.
WWF-Malaysia and partners created this platform for students to share their work, ideas and passion with other students of different backgrounds, nationalities and races. We want to empower young people to care for the environment so they can lead sustainability related activities and influence others to follow.