On 14 August 2024, the ‘Negalitres for Schools’ River and Water Education Programme was successfully organized at Sekolah Menengah Sains Tun Syed Sheh Shahabudin by Water Watch Penang (WWP). The program ran from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM during the Co-curriculum Day and involved nearly 600 students from Form 1 to Form 4, along with one teacher. The aims of the program were to highlight the importance of reducing water consumption and to increase students’ awareness of global and regional water issues.
The event was led by WWP Education Officers, Ms. Atiqah and Ms. Fatin Azahara, and assisted by three interns: Ms. Fatin Amira, Ms. Husna, and Ms. Khor Ci Shan. The session began with an overview of WWP’s goals and previous initiatives, presented by Ms. Atiqah. Participants engaged in an informative discussion about the regional, state, and global water crisis, recognizing the critical need for concerted efforts to address water scarcity. Additionally, during the presentation, they learned that Penang’s low water rates encourage water-wasting behaviors, making Penang residents the highest water users among all Malaysian states.
Next, Education Officer, Ms. Fatin Azahara, continued the session by educating about the biological, chemical, and physical factors involved in evaluating river water quality. Through illustrations of polluted rivers, participants learned about the harmful effects of chemical pollution on rivers and the importance of macroinvertebrates, such as mayflies, stoneflies, and prawns, in indicating ecosystem health.
Furthermore, to raise awareness among participants about their own water usage, they were taught how to calculate water bills to understand daily water consumption. One of the important sessions was, the students were guided the correct way to use the water saving taps as well as introduction to various water saving methods and technologies. Quizzes were also conducted, and those who answered correctly received gifts from WWP as tokens of appreciation.
‘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).
WWP is grateful to Sekolah Menengah Sains Tun Syed Sheh Shahabudin for kindly collaborating with WWP on this educational event. 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.