Exemplifying Private Sector Involvement in Environmental Education Programmes in the UAE

Enviro-Spellathon was conceived within the WWF family network in Hong Kong and first translated into reality in 1996 in Pakistan, where it proved to be a tremendous success. In 2002, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Emirates Wildlife Society (WWF - EWS) introduced the programme to the UAE.

In its first year of implementation, the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA) conducted the Enviro-Spellathon in Abu Dhabi under the generous sponsorship of Shell. It was received with enormous enthusiasm, with about 49,000 students from 300 schools benefiting from it in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region.

In the Enviro-Spellathon, information pertaining to local flora, fauna and habitats is encapsulated in six well - illustrated booklets that children between the age of 6 and 12 years are urged to read, comprehend and absorb before they are tested on their contents. Families are also encouraged to get involved when children bring home their coursework. Students who score the best marks are awarded the distinction of being designated as 'Environmental Ambassadors.'

Due to the overwhelming response to Enviro-Spellathon in 2002, the WWF - EWS and ERWDA are, in 2003, extending the programme beyond Abu Dhabi - to Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Once again, sponsorship has come from Shell. Implementation partners are: Dubai Municipality (Dubai), Environment and Protection Areas Authority (Sharjah), the Environmental Protection and Industrial Development Commission (Ras Al Khaimah) and ERWDA (Abu Dhabi).

Not only is the Enviro-Spellathon a singularly innovative eco-educational concept, but also it is the most extensive programme of its kind being funded by the private sector. The project is being conducted almost simultaneously in four emirates while drawing participation from a bulk of the schools - government and private.

All WWF - EWS projects in the UAE will involve working closely with local governmental and non-governmental agencies in partnership with business and industry.


For more information on projects and sponsoring mechanisms, contact us at wwfuae@erwda.gov.ae