Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has launched the fourth ‘Conservation for a Better Tomorrow’ Award as part of its vision to reduce water and electricity consumption levels below average worldwide rates.
The aim of the award is to highlight steps that can be taken to cut the amount of water and electricity which is wasted. Students in Dubai are being asked to come up with ideas to change the way their family consumes power and those that reduce consumption the greatest will win prizes up to AED 5,000 for each category.
There are five categories within the award from kindergarten through colleges and universities.
“The young generation will be vital in securing a sustainable future for Dubai,” said Amal Koshak, Senior Manager, Demand and Tariff Management at DEWA. “As conservation ambassadors, students will help promote the benefits of eliminating wasted electricity and water both to protect energy resources plus reduce the cost of household bills.”
DEWA delivers electricity to 474,947 customers and water to more than 400,000 customers across the Emirate of Dubai.
The Dubai Government is working towards sustainable development in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Vice President, and Ruler of Dubai.
“Everyone who enters the Conservation for a Better Tomorrow Award is a winner as they will help spread a culture of conservation,” added Amal Koshak.
The Conservation for a Better Tomorrow Award is organised by DEWA's strategic partner, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which is providing the financial support to the award totaling AED 144,000.
Taha AlHamri, Director of Administrative Services Unit at KHDA, said: “The timeframe that this award has set will allow us to monitor domestic consumption, the level of cutbacks the students make, and how effectively students can initiate and implement power conserving programs. The Award will play a great role in making conservation a daily habit that will contribute to the preservation of our environmental resources.”
Al Hamri stressed the importance of the ongoing cooperation between KHDA and DEWA in preparing students to preserve resources in the light of the challenges the world is facing in maintaining sources of power.
DEWA experts say there are many simple ways to reduce the amount of water and electricity in the home:
• Close windows and doors when using air conditioning
• Shut down the computer
• Turn the tap off while brush your teeth
• Clean air conditioners each month
• Replace old appliances with more energy efficient products
• Place a plastic bottle filled with water in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used in each flush
Schools must register their students’ entries from 12-16th April 2009, which should include a schedule which monitors the residential consumption, rate of savings, and demonstrates a pro-active implementation of the conservation program,
