Dubai: UAE youngster shows her determination to save the environment to the local and international community
Thirteen-year-old Simran Vedvyas is dedicated to saving the environment and ensuring future generations see a brighter, greener future.
For the past six years the Millennium School Dubai student, has been an environmental advocate in the UAE and an active member of the Emirates Environmental Group. Every year she not only participates in events like Earth Hour, clean up drives, can collection drives, and tree planting, but dedicates her time to spreading awareness about the need to save the environment and the need for sustainable development.
She told Gulf News that she wishes to "address and reach out to as many as I can and continue to promote ideas for a sustainable living."
In order to do this, Vedvyas has taken her message to both the local and international stage.
She recently attended the 6th World Water Forum, held in Marseille, France from March 12 -17 after receiving an invitation from the event's organisers.
She communicated with their key youth movements and youth coordination team and joined a group called the Youth Water Movement.
The group, comprising about 300 youth from across the world, came together to draft the Youth Vision, a document where they noted what they wanted to do to save the environment and what actions they were going to take. They also called on decision makers to address their concerns and engage with them on all levels.
She said: "As crucial stakeholders, we youth share the responsibility and necessity of combating the global water crisis. It impacts us all and we all need to implement solutions.
"If there is magic on earth, it is contained in water, and this is why we should protect it, this is why we are all here, and this is why we should save it."
Fresh off her return from France, she attended the Round Square Regional Junior Conference in Dubai as a delegate. At the event, which was held from March 21 to 25, she conducted an interactive workshop called ‘Be the Change'.
This international conference was hosted by her school and brought together around 200 youth from across the region.
She said: "The conference aimed to act as a wakeup call [to those involved] to take charge, lead and make a difference because each one of us has the power within us to create the life we want to live.
"There are many things in this world we need to change and it is not only just about the environment. We must take a balanced approach. We must learn to accept change and make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world."
