DEWA Conducts Assessment Visits to 102 Educational Institutions for Conservation Awards

Strategic Partnership with Knowledge and Human Development Authority to Instill Culture of Conservation among Students The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) today announced it has visited 102 educational institutions as part of a mid-term assessment for the fifth round of 'Conservation for a Better Tomorrow' awards that extends from May 2009 – March 2010. During their visit, the DEWA staff members evaluated the progress of award submissions and collected data from the institutions on the amount of energy saved. The last day for schools, colleges and universities to participate in the awards is 14 April, 2010. Launched in 2005 in strategic partnership with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the awards aim to encourage students from the kindergarten to the university level reduce electricity and water consumption at homes and within their academic institutions. In addition to honouring the best educational institution, the best conservation team, the best parents and guardians, as well as the best student, the latest cycle of the awards will include a new category for recognizing best faculty members. As part of the evaluation process for the awards, each school's energy conservation level is collated at the end of the cycle and compared to that of the other schools, with the winner being the institution that has conserved the highest in terms of percentage. The first category of the awards will honour an academic institution – school, college, or university – that saves the highest amount of electricity and water during the period of 10 months, against its conservation level in the previous cycle. The first, second, and third place winners in this particular category will receive the largest cash prize of all the awards. During the visit to the schools, DEWA staff members also organized seminars for students at various educational levels and offered them tips on the different ways they can enhance their contribution to reducing energy consumption. His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, said: “The year-on-year success of the 'Conservation for a Better Tomorrow' awards is very encouraging and further affirms that the commitment to conserve our natural resources is taking root in the region. DEWA will continue to take a pioneering role in highlighting the rational use of energy in order to minimize carbon footprint and ensure that we bestow a healthy and clean environment on our next generation. Students today are the leaders tomorrow and it is incumbent upon us to provide them with the tools to succeed in the future; the reason why we consider teaching them about the environment and providing them with the right incentive as one of our core responsibilities. The previous round of the 'Conservation for a Better Tomorrow' awards led to an overall saving of 9,905,791 KwH of electricity and 103,408,073 gallons of water. Dr Abdullah Al Karam, Chairman, Board of Directors, and Director General of KHDA, added: Our co-operation comes on the heel of yet another successful round of the awards, and we are honoured to partner with DEWA on this initiative. Both KHDA and DEWA appreciate the importance of instilling a culture of energy conservation at a young age, and through this partnership we have demonstrated our commitment to the vision of Dubai’s leadership for a greener emirate. In addition to focusing on educational institutions, DEWA continues to spearhead the drive for the rationalization of electricity and water usage through various seminars, workshops and integrated communications aimed at government entities, organizations and hotels. DEWA has also instituted awards such as the 'Best Consumer' award for residential consumers aimed at encouraging diverse community groups to conserve energy.