| Aziz Idris |
NINETY students from around Southeast Asia concluded the three-day Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) Environmental Conference with a tree-planting campaign at International School Brunei (ISB) recently.
The campaign was part of the activities conducted by the students to promote sustainability and improve environmental conditions through better use of resources, in line with the conference’s theme for this year, ‘Sustainable Development and Natural Heritage’.
The Executive Principal of ISB Dr Steven Geraghty in his remarks congratulated the organiser and the teams involved in the conference.
He added, “The students pledged to stop taking plastic straws with fast food, refusing plastic bags at the tuck shops, wasting less food, buying local produce where possible and trying to grow it in small quantities.
“I am proud not only of the staff who made the conference possible, but also the youth delegates whose eco-intelligence and passion for environmental improvement provide a model approach for us.”
Students also shared the knowledge gained from the conference.
The delegates first visited ISB’s ‘Green Campus’, followed by a beach clean-up at Meragang Beach, and touring the Marine Biodiversity Centre, as well as the Daikyo Environmental Recycling Sdn Bhd.
The delegates camped overnight at the Sumbiling Eco Village (SEV) in Temburong, an eco-tourism business.
One of the highlights during their visit to SEV was witnessing dawn break over the rainforest after a moonlit trek.
Students learnt how Brunei is developing its ability to attract tourists, which is balanced against maintaining its natural heritage and beauty, as well as their own ability to make better use of resources, engaging with their local community to improve sustainable development.
They also discussed how Brunei and Asia can improve sustainable development in tourism by using Brunei as a good example, having maintained a significant proportion of virgin rainforest and indigenous flora and fauna.
Participating in the conference were students from ISB, Dover Court International School (Singapore), Seoul Foreign School (South Korea), Bangkok Prep School (Thailand), Jerudong International School (JIS), Sultan Hassan Secondary School, Sayyidina Othman Secondary School, Chung Ching Middle School, and Meragang Sixth Form Centre.
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