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Schools make a green statement

Schools which took part in a sustainability programme over the past four years have more than halved their water usage and slashed waste by a quarter.

A green audit of the more than 100 Abu Dhabi schools that participated in the Sustainable Schools Initiative (SSI) since 2009 showed a 23 per cent reduction in waste, 54 per cent in water usage and 19 per cent increase in the number of students using shared transport.

SSI, an environmental education programme by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) that empowers schools, teachers and students to make positive environmental changes, was created in 2009 in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and BP.

In the years since its establishment, 1,107 teachers were trained on how to integrate the emirate’s environmental concerns into classrooms and 775 teachers were trained on how to conduct green audits and establish successful eco clubs in their schools. Each year, thousand of students go on environmental field trips.

“Thanks to the support of our partners, we’ve succeeded in educating the youth, inspired them to take action and observed a true change in their levels of awareness and positive behavioural change. We’re proud that the SSI has made a tangible contribution towards creating a new generation of environmentally-responsible youth,” said EAD secretary general Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak.

Some of the successful initiatives of schools in the past have included replacing tube lights in schools with energy-efficient light bulbs, reducing energy consumption by 15 per cent; recycling waste and introducing fabric bags in lieu of plastic bags; using coarse sand to filter used water for the school garden; and turning the problem of unsightly pigeon droppings into an environmental solution by using the droppings as fertiliser to grow plants and fruits. Other conservation initiatives have included using drips from air-conditioning units to water plants, old newspapers as plant nutrient, white pebbles to keep moisture in plants, and introducing native drought-tolerant plant species.

About 103 schools participated in SSI last year while 130 schools in 2011.

SSI revamp

In an effort to further empower schools in the emirate to assess and address their own environmental impact and have an international reach, SSI will be revamped this year to engage more youth locally, regionally and internationally. Chief among the changes will be the extended period of two consecutive academic years to run the conservation initiative in schools. This will provide schools more time not only to assess and mitigate their school’s environmental impact, but also to implement long-term solutions and measure them.

EAD is also introducing a mentorship programme called ‘Lead Schools,’ where previous school winners will be invited to become a ‘Lead School’. EAD will develop and offer Master Training courses for these mentors to build their capacities to coach other schools on how to become more sustainable.

In addition, a two-day annual ‘Eco Club Summit’ will be organised by EAD, which will bring together environmental youth leaders from around the world with Abu Dhabi’s leading eco club members to learn from each other and share experiences

.“With the new and improved SSI, we are promoting inspiration, proactivity and independence amongst Abu Dhabi’s school students. We are enabling them to be drivers of change, and empowering schools to manage their environmental resources independently. By connecting our youth with their international counterparts, we are promoting cross-cultural knowledge exchange and insight into international best practice,” said Fozeya Ibrahim Mahmoud, director of the Environmental Outreach Division, EAD. — olivia@khaleejtimes.com