TUESDAY, 18 MAY 2010 16:44

Nusajaya (Johor), 24 April 2010.

CLIMATE change an ongoing phenomena that is threatening the environment can have an adverse impact on life. Ignorance and failure to address it can also lead to untold damages in the world including Malaysia.

Recognising this UKM in its ongoing cooperation with UEM Land has launched the UKM-UEM Land Green Programme to instill greater public awareness of the phenomenon by getting schools to carry out programmes aimed at mitigating its impact.

The programme launched today was to get students to be more environmentally conscious and aware of global warming and climate change. It involves students from Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Nusa Perintis, Sekolah Kebangsaan Nusantara and Sekolah Kebangsaan Tiram Duku. The three schools were selected as UEM Land Smart Schools in Nusajaya Johor Bahru.

Both UKM and UEM Land are collaborating in various efforts to improve sustainability of the environment for the well being of society.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UEM Land, Dato’ Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim said cooperation with UKM as a research university is very important so as to share its technology and expertise in development. This is an effort towards evolving a sustainable environment in Nusajaya while also adopting values to significantly improve the local communities’ quality of life.

He said that the co-operation has led to the drawing up of an Environmental Masterplan for the area known as Nusajaya Green Plan which aims at encouraging students and the schools to be more environmentally conscious and aware of climate change. He said this when launching the programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Nusa Perintis 1.

UKM’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin in her speech said the programme formed part of the activities under the university’s Niche for Climatic Change which should benefit society through research.

As a teaching institution, UKM has a heavy responsibility to mobilize efforts with those who have the same mission in carrying out programmes to instill knowledge including to those outside the university. Thus UKM had carried out a number of activities during the year in collaboration with UEM Land in the Nusajaya State constituency.

Tan Sri Sharifah Hapsah said the activities may be small but would contribute to the mission to develop a sustainable environment for the benefit of society. The one day programme involved tree planting, film shows, handicrafts, learning about instruments for measuring temperature, rainfall and wind besides various forms of competition. UKM News Portal.