Environment

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), in partnership with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), and in collaboration with Dubai Education Zone, will honour winners of the 10th Conservation Award 2014-2015, on Wednesday, 20 May 2015. The Award supports DEWAs vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility, and underlines its role as a socially-responsible organisation. The Conservation Award, which DEWA organises in partnership with KHDA, and in collaboration with Dubai Education Zone, targets educational institutions in Dubai; honouring the best practices they implement to limit electricity and water use and reduce waste.

DEWAs Conservation Team has organised field visits to educational institutions in Dubai to raise awareness about the importance of responsibly using electricity and water and protecting natural resources. During the visits, DEWAs team encouraged management, teachers, staff, and students to both adopt sensible use practices, and make their educational institutions take part in the annual award, which DEWA organises under the theme For a Better Tomorrow. The award includes three categories. The first, Facility Management, covers government and private educational institutions from nurseries to universities, and specialised educational establishments, including special needs centres and adult education centres. The Residential Consumer category covers students, faculty members, and administrators, and the third category is Outstanding Conservation Team.

Raising a knowledgeable and educated generation that is capable of taking responsibility is a bridge to a prosperous and bright future. Our children are the leaders of tomorrow and the cornerstone of the sustainable development vision adopted by the Government of Dubai, led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. His Highness once observed that, We recognise that preserving our energy resources will be one of the greatest challenges in our drive towards sustainable development. This, however, will not materialise unless the different facets of our society adopt energy conservation principles in their core values. All our conservation initiatives instil a culture of sensible use among all society to achieve the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, to reduce energy use by 30% by 2030, said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

Our partnership with KHDA and the support from Dubai Education Zone have resulted in continuous successes in conservation. This is reflected in the excellent results the Conservation Award achieves year after year. While achieving considerable savings in electricity and water use, the ultimate goal is to raise a generation that is aware of the importance of conservation and the need to save valuable natural resources. This next generation has a role in supporting the sustainable development of Dubai and the UAE. I would like to thank the KHDA, Dubai Education Zone, and the educational institutions that participated in the Conservation Award. I also thank faculty members, administrators, and students who have contributed to the success of the award, and the status it has achieved. This award will have a key role in creating a better future, for generations to come, added Al Tayer.

DEWA organises conservation campaigns and awareness programmes throughout the year. This supports our efforts to promote a culture of conservation among all members of society and encourage them to use electricity and water sensibly, save natural resources and ensure their sustainability, for generations to come. The significance of the award is that it targets educational institutions and focuses on students, the leaders of tomorrow, who will adopt these practices if they are entrenched in their mindset since childhood. DEWA also honours the efforts of institutions and individuals in the educational sector and highlights the constructive ideas that can make a real impact in reducing electricity and water use within educational establishments, concluded Al Tayer.

Over 10 years, the Conservation Award for a better tomorrow has supported the shared strategic objectives of the KHDA and DEWA, to reduce electricity and water consumption rates in the educational sector and achieve tangible savings. The award has also contributed effectively in promoting a culture of rational use of natural resources within the education sector by encouraging more institutions each year to participate in the award, said HE Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of KHDA.

Cultivating a culture of conservation among students in our educational institutions is as important as cultivating their morals. Our children are our ambassadors to society. To rationalise consumption in their schools and houses would make electricity and water conservation a social culture that all members of society believe in. It ensures the future of Dubai, not only as the most prosperous and modern, but also as a sustainable city, added Al Karam.

During their field visits to educational institutions, DEWAs Conservation Team highlights best practices that can be applied in schools and educational institutions to reduce electricity and water use. They inform students, faculty members, and staff how they can save electricity and water in their homes by following simple steps, such as switching off air-conditioning and lights when not needed, purchasing environmentally-friendly electrical appliances, watering the gardens in the evening or early morning to limit evaporation, and similar steps that might seems simple, yet contribute greatly to saving electricity and water, and in turn conserving natural resources and the environment.

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