Environment awareness project launched

Enviro-Spellathon, an environmental awareness programme for primary school children, was launched yesterday during a ceremony at the Beach Rotana Hotel.

The event is being organised by the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA), in cooperation with the Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and sponsored by Shell Abu Dhabi.

This year's edition will involve 125,000 schoolchildren in four emirates – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.

The agencies responsible for implementing the programme in their emirates are the ERWDA Abu Dhabi, Dubai Municipality, the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah and the Environmental Protection and Industrial Deve-lopment Commission (EPIDC) in Ras Al Khaimah.

The programme involves students ages six to 12, giving them several themes including waste, water and wildlife, desert, cities and seas. Every child receives a booklet containing environmental information, tailored according to his or her age.

This year, the ERWDA developed two themes 'waste' and 'water'.

Students were given two weeks to study the contents at home and in school after which the coordinator teacher of each school tested them on what they had learnt. At the end, certificates or gifts will be awarded to them depending on their scores.

Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the ERWDA, said: "The programme provides students with unique educational opportunities to improve their academic ability and learn about the country's fauna and flora. It also helps instill sound environmental behaviour in them."

Popularising the concepts of environmental protection and wildlife conservation among young children is one of the vital roles played by the ERWDA.

He said awareness programmes for government and private schools have been undertaken since 1998, progressing continuously to meet the priorities and adapting to environmental changes and development in learning techniques.

The Enviro-Spellathon was conceived within the WWF's family network in Hong Kong and first translated into reality in 1996 in Pakistan, where it proved to be a tremendous success.

Adapted and developed by the ERWDA for the UAE in 2001, the programme teaches children about the country's wildlife and natural habitats, encouraging them to read, comprehend and improve their knowledge about the local environment.

Families are also encouraged to get involved when children bring home their course-work. Last year about 45,000 students participated in the emirate of Abu Dhabi alone, drawing participation from 300 schools.

Dr Frederic Launay, Director of the EWS-WWF said: "Enviro-Spellathon is consistent with the EWS-WWF conservation programme."

It is the first time that an education programme of this magnitude is launched across the UAE, and the expansion of the project to three other emirates is indicative of its enormous appeal among target groups.

Dr Mohammed Defrawi, Managing Director of Shell Abu Dhabi, said promoting environmental awareness in the UAE is in line with Shell's objective of promoting sustainable development.

Shell through partnerships with the government agencies such as the ERWDA, the Federal Environmental Agency and the Food and Environment Control Centre (FECC) of the Abu Dhabi Municipality, has been involved in implementing a number of environmental research and awareness programmes, including the 'Better Environment Awards' and 'Young Environmentalists' children's magazine and its website.

Qasem Salem Al Taher, Head of the Student Activities and Welfare Division, delivered a speech on behalf of Mohammed Salem Al Dhahiri, Director of the Abu Dhabi Educational Zone.

He said: "The Abu Dhabi educational zone has given environmental education a priority to help produce awareness about the importance of protecting the environment."