From January 29/01 – 02/2/2024, two members of the Community Outreach team from Save Vietnam’s Wildlife attended the 12th World Environmental Education Congress held in Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) is a major international conference on environmental education and sustainable development, organized biennially by the network with the same name. It serves as a significant forum for connecting individuals worldwide to discuss and share challenges, methods, and initiatives in the field of environmental education and sustainable development.
The congress this year brought together 3,131 delegates from 83 countries around the world under the theme “Connecting People, Creating Tomorrow.”. H.E (Her Excellency) Shaikha Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, opened the event by emphasizing that education is crucial to addressing the triple planetary crisis including climate change, biodiversity loss, and widespread pollution. She also stressed the necessity of building a global community for sustainability with a shared vision.
H.E (Her Excellency) Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN), reinforced the importance of integrating environmental education and education for sustainable development, stating that “the only way to address the triple planetary crisis is through education to provide information and, more importantly, to inspire real action.”
Participating as speakers, the two representatives from Save Vietnam’s Wildlife received considerable interest from delegates attending the conference upon sharing about challenges and achievements in implementing education programs to raise awareness and reduce wildlife consumption demand in Pu Mat National Park, Vietnam
The presence of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife at this World Environmental Education Congress holds particular significance as it marks the first time representatives from Vietnam have participated. This not only provides an opportunity for Save Vietnam’s Wildlife to connect, learn and share experiences, but also inspired and motivated us to collaborate and promote environmental education and sustainable development programs in the country.
