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Flag of The Maldives |
Dear Sandwatchers
Beach erosion and the dumping of garbage on
beaches are among the many environmental problems being faced in the
Maldives. It is against this background that Sandwatch has recently
started in the Maldives, with the goal to provide a cross-curricular,
hands-on, practical approach to environmental education that will equip
students and teachers, as well as their communities, with the necessary
tools to cope with such environmental problems.
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On 26-27th May 2006, a
Sandwatch workshop was held at the Baa Atoll Educational Centre
on the island of Eydhafushi. Twenty-eight teachers from primary
and secondary schools in 13 different islands took part in the
workshop, which was supported by the Atoll Ecosystem-based
Conservation Project (Baa Atoll) and Live and Learn
Environmental Education.
The teachers enjoyed learning
about the Sandwatch approach and experimenting with the methods,
particularly measuring the waves, longshore currents and sand
composition and concluded that Sandwatch had potential for use
within the school curriculum, as well as with school
environmental clubs, and that furthermore Sandwatch was a tool
for raising community awareness. “Sandwatch provides knowledge
and understanding that students can apply in their daily lives”
and “Really it is a very interesting idea. We can make
students active and they can become aware of the environment”
were among the comments made by the teachers at the end of the
workshop.
Plans are now underway to begin
an active Sandwatch programme in Baa Atoll. This could become a
pilot for schools in other atolls throughout the Maldives.
Adulla Mohamed, Athira Auli,
Sujau, Ministry of Evironment, Energy & Water, Maldives:
Gillian Cambers, Puerto Rico
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