LAKBIRA TUNISI (ABU DHABI)
Stemming from the well-known notion that family serves as a microcosm of society, many entities are undertaking efforts to foster family awareness of resource sustainability, particularly among parents and children.
Specialists emphasise the pivotal role of mothers in instilling the concept of sustainability in children, as they serve as primary transmitters of values, nurturers of generations, and catalysts of awareness.
Mohammed Ahmed, an environmental activist and member of the Environment Friends Association, considers the sustainability of resources a safety net for generations, and emphasises the parents’ responsibility to enhance awareness in their children. Ahmed stressed the importance of building a healthy environment at home that includes everyone.
“Our children have the right to live in a clean environment with happiness and wellbeing. It is our duty to educate, train, and inform them, to instill environmental values in themselves, contributing to preparing future generations to meet sustainability requirements,” he said.
Instilling ValuesFor her part, Afaf Ghanem, a human development coach and curator of sustainable artwork, noted that childhood is one of the most important stages of a person’s life. During this stage, most of the basic dimensions of personality development are determined, where what is learned in childhood is greatly embedded in memory.
“It is essential to focus on developing environmental awareness in children so they can protect the environment from the challenges it faces. Here, the role falls on both the mother and father at home, where their behaviour towards the environment and sustainable resource management automatically transfers to the child from an early age,” Ghanem said.
Community InitiativesEmbedding and enhancing the concept of sustainability in society is not complete without the initiatives of individuals and families who transfer these values to society as well as to children who are the pillars of the future.
Latifa Al Rashidi said that developing environmental awareness starts at home, where children are taught cleanliness and responsibility for arranging their places and rooms. This early exposure instills a sense of resource stewardship in children, encouraging them only to consume what they need in terms of lighting, water, or food, for the sustainability of resources.
VolunteeringFatima Al Dhaheri believes that mothers play a pivotal role in instilling the concept of environmental awareness in children, emphasising that spreading awareness has become an urgent necessity for the sustainability of resources for generations.
She highlighted the importance of workshops and volunteering opportunities in inculcating environmental consciousness in children, noting that observing simple daily behaviours help children ingrain these values as they learn through observation, practice and participation.
As for recycling, it has evolved from a responsibility solely borne by the concerned authorities to an obligation shared by every individual, taking into consideration the immense threat it poses to the environment.
Shama Al Saadi pointed out that the culture of waste sorting begins at home with the participation of children, which eventually becomes part of their daily life.
Environmental EducationDr. Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Environmental Friends Association, said that the key to preserving the environment and mitigating climate change lies in human behaviour.
The main focus of the Emirates Environmental Friends Association is to enhance awareness among children and attract their attention towards sustainability through various programmes and activities with environmental and educational goals. The association works within an integrated system to spread awareness through interaction and practice.
He added that the association’s programmes target 70% children and 30% women, aligning with the organisation’s belief in raising environmental awareness at homes.
The association organises many initiatives, with a focus on entrenching principles of energy and water efficiency in households, raising awareness of paper and clothing recycling, and reducing food waste. It also embarks on launching numerous endeavours that contribute to reducing the carbon footprint.
For environmental expert Ali Al Amoudi, family is the basis of awareness and is the main driver for instilling values and principles.
“The mother’s role complements the educational aspect in various fields. We fully recognise that the mother’s positive behaviour in maintaining electricity, water, and other resources, recycling, and rationalising consumption extend beyond home, as children carry these actions into society, contributing to environmental protection,” Al Amoudi said.
COP28Ali Al Amoudi noted that sustainability is a central issue in the UAE, and it will work to translate the policies and outcomes at COP28 into a sustainable practical reality.
Agricultural engineer Shahla Ahmed Kalfan Al Buflasa emphasised the importance of raising environmental awareness of families, especially mothers.
She stressed the importance of radio as a means to spread awareness, given its significant impact on motorists. She also noted the importance of recycling at home and converting food waste into fertiliser.