On August 22, 2024, Water Watch Penang (WWP) held the “Negalitres for Schools” River and Water Education Program at SMK Bukit Jambul, one of the 100 participating schools. The event took place from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and included 2 teachers and 57 students from Form 2 and Form 5 classes.
Led by WWP Education Officers Ms. Fatin Azahara, Ms. Nur Atiqah, and their interns, the program aimed to encourage responsible water usage and increase awareness of both local and global water issues. Ms. Atiqah presented WWP’s goals and addressed water challenges on regional and international scales, emphasizing Penang’s high water consumption despite having the lowest water rates in Malaysia. The students were educated about global water scarcity, particularly the struggles faced by African nations in accessing clean water.
Ms. Fatin Azahara discussed river water quality assessment and the significance of macroinvertebrates as indicators of ecosystem health. Students calculated their daily water usage based on their water bills to foster greater awareness of their consumption habits. She also introduced various water-saving technologies and suggested methods to conserve water at home. The session concluded with quizzes, rewarding students who answered correctly with notebooks as tokens of appreciation from WWP.
WWP is grateful to SMK Bukit Jambul for collaborating with WWP on this programme.
‘Negalitres for Schools,’ launched on 22 March 2022, was coordinated by WWP in partnership with Intel Corporation, CLEAN International, and in collaboration with Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) and PBAPP. This project is fully funded by CLEAN International Inc. and Intel Corporation and is also supported by the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Penang State Education Department. The local partners involved are the Penang State Government through the Penang Green Council, PBAPP, and the Green Educators Workgroup (GREW). For further inquiries, please contact WWP’s Executive Manager, Dr. Hong Chern Wern, at hong.wwp@gmail.com, or reach out to WWP directly at +6019-5751253.