Environment Society of Oman’s countrywide awareness efforts to protect heritage ends

Muscat: In keeping with its aim to protect and conserve Oman’s natural heritage, the Environment Society of Oman (ESO) concluded its education programme last month.
The programme, which has been sponsored by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) since 2015, included four topics: “Water and Energy”, “Oman’s Biodiversity”, “Ecological Footprint” and “Green Schools”. These topics have been presented to 90 schools across different regions of the Sultanate over the last years.

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“Part of our mission is to help protect Oman’s natural heritage by influencing and promoting environmental sustainable behaviour not only through conservation, but through education and awareness,” said Jawaher Al Ghafri, Education Coordinator at ESO. “Through presentations, and interactive games and activities at schools, ESO is working to engage and educate students, teachers and parents on how they can get involved in making a difference.”
The ESO’s education programme works towards creating a culture of environmental awareness throughout schools by integrating concepts within the curriculum and allowing students the opportunity to apply eco-friendly habits to the day-to-day running of their schools and beyond.
Alongside the educational campaign, ESO’s community outreach team engaged with fishermen, tour offices and the general public during a recent campaign held in
Musandam.
The campaign, also funded by PDO, aimed at raising awareness on the importance of Oman’s marine biodiversity and the importance of its sustainability for stakeholders. As part of the campaign, dolphin watching guidelines were shared with tour offices, and fishermen were educated on how to rescue and release entangled turtles.
Dr. Hamed Al Gheilani, Community Outreach Manger at ESO, said, “By engaging with different stakeholders, we aim to raise awareness on the importance of sustainability and conservation. We believe it is an important step to convey key findings of our research work and deliver these to the key stakeholders.”
One of ESO’s main objectives is to raise awareness among the general public and different stakeholders about the importance of conserving Oman’s natural heritage and engage with different segments of the society to share the responsibility.
Abdul Amir bin Abdul- Hussein Al Ajmi, PDO’s External Affairs and Value Creation Director, said: “We are delighted to partner with ESO, which always helps in spreading environmental and sustainability awareness throughout the Sultanate. At PDO, we are environmentally aware in our operations and our community. We strongly believe that giving time to educate the youth on the importance of the environment is crucial for future generations. We look forward to participating in more collaborative efforts to translate our shared ambition of a sustainable Oman into a reality.”
Founded in 2004, the ESO is a non-profit organisation helping to protect Oman’s natural heritage, while influencing environmentally sustainable behaviour through education, awareness and conservation. The organisation, through its many partnerships and collaborations with various sectors, raises awareness through a number of activities and projects, while continuing research of Oman’s biodiversity to better conserve it.