Malaysia launches ASEAN environment year

Over 100 delegates from 10 ASEAN countries, along with three of the group’s partners, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, attended a ceremony to launch the 2012 ASEAN Environment Year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 17-18.
Over 100 delegates from 10 ASEAN countries, along with three of thegroup’s partners, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, attended aceremony to launch the 2012 ASEAN Environment Year in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia on July 17-18.

This year’s event themed‘Environmental Awareness through Eco-Schools’ focused on the roleschools play in improving the awareness of their pupils on theimportance of protecting the environment and conserving nature.

At the opening ceremony, Malaysia ’s Minister of Natural Resourcesand the Environment, Douglas Uggah Embas, said that schools foster andform the thought processes that constantly question accepted norms andstandards for wise resource use and sustainability.

Hesaid he hopes there will be more regular exchanges of information onenvironmental issues and a higher level of cooperation during the 2012ASEAN Environment Year, to ensure the environment is protected in asustainable manner and natural resources are managed efficiently.

To highlight the occasion, the 2012 ASEAN Eco-Schools Award waspresented to 20 schools around ASEAN, including two from Vietnam,for educating their pupils on environmental protection and promotingenvironmentally friendly activities.

Truong Thi CamTu, Vice-Principal of the Hanoi-based Thuc Nghiem Primary School ,said it is a great honour for the school to receive the noble award inrecognition of its efforts to create a clean and pleasant learningenvironment.

Le Mai Anh, the Vice-Principal of ChuVan An Secondary School, also in Hanoi, said the award confirms the 100year old school’s standing on environmental protection, not only at homebut also across the region. She added that the school will always beseen as the capital city’s green lung.-VNA

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