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Congratulations to all
Eco Champions!

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We have officially concluded our quest to find the 2021 Eco Champions. Our winners were chosen based on their exciting proposals for river conservation and solid waste management. With a focus on safeguarding freshwater resources by reducing waste footprint, H&M and Freshwater team WWF-Malaysia will reward these winners with a seed grant for their projects, running from April to June 2021. Stay tuned for the projects’ updates on our website and social media.

The award aims to recognise individuals who have a passion and commitment to contribute to their communities and the environment. The evaluation process was challenging, as we received many outstanding nominations. We thank all the future sustainability leaders who were involved in the process.

Take a look at the winners!

Click on the image to view the profile

Siti Aisyah Anas, Muhammad Faiz Muhd Kam

Special Grant Recipients

 

The Eco Champion Awards, Special Mention is granted to Ir. Ts. Dr Ranjit Singh Sarban Singh, Ir. Siti Aisyah Anas and Mr Muhammad Faiz Muhd Kamal, lecturers from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka. Aside from teaching, they have published numerous research papers and won awards internationally and nationally. They are passionate and actively involved in embedded system design and development system.

Congratulation!

Eco Champion Awards 2021

What is Eco Champion Awards?

 

The Eco Champion Awards (ECA) is an annual celebration to award our young local environmentalists. Organised by the Education for Sustainable Development programme, we recognise individuals who positively contribute to sustainable living and encourage communities and even local councils to support their green initiatives.

Since 2017 we have given recognition to individuals who go the extra mile for the environment in various ways.  Their stories are inspirational – from young students who started the school's organic vegetable patch to those who championed waste management issues in their community. Together, they have created a massive impact on sustainability and well-being within their communities and beyond.

This year, the ECA is embarking on this journey with WWF-Malaysia’s corporate partner, H&M and the Freshwater team of WWF-Malaysia. With a focus on safeguarding freshwater resources by reducing waste footprint, we are seeking  nominees with strong passion to initiate, drive and be involved significantly in efforts towards river conservation and solid waste management at river basins.

Instead of individual nominations for students/lecturers/teachers, there will be six Eco Champion Award recipients for 2021 who will be selected to receive up to RM 3,000 each to run projects related to the above mentioned topics. Nominate yourself or someone deserving to receive the grant. Your nominations will go a long way in helping us identify the right people and projects to conserve our rivers.

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Conserving our river basin

 

Water, mainly freshwater, is essential for humans and all other living organisms on our planet. While we are aware and know the importance of water, we might not realise how our daily life actions, regardless of living in the city or rural area, impact water availability. Clean water is critical to all for survival. Without it, our wellbeing, health and food security are in danger, and in fact, the economic growth of our nation too may be compromised. Although water bodies are abundant on Earth, only 1% is a drinkable water source.

Rivers are essential to us as a source of water, food, transport, eco-tourism, or even a power source. Hence, it is not surprising for towns or cities to be situated along the river. Without access to clean water, many aspects of our daily life get affected. Poor quality of water causes diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, typhoid and others. Can you imagine not being able to go to school or carry out daily activities because you do not have clean water?

Do you know where your water comes from?

 

We are lucky that Malaysia receives abundant rainfall averaging 3,000mm annually, contributing to an estimated annual water resource of some 900 billion cubic metres. About 97% of our raw water supply for agricultural, domestic and industrial needs are derived from surface water sources, primarily rivers. Malaysia has 189 river basins - 89 in Peninsular Malaysia, 78 in Sabah and 22 in Sarawak. All the rivers originate and flow from the highlands. ​Our natural environment, e.g., forests, soils and wetlands, contributes to the water's healthy condition. Mangrove, for example, filters and traps sediments, metals, pollutants upstream and prevents them from entering downstream.

However, as developments increase rapidly with the fast-growing population, it also means higher consumption of freshwater. Without proper management, sufficient water supply might not be accessible for everyone. Countries across the world have faced severe droughts, which leads to hunger, malnutrition, and even loss of lives. Water pollution is also becoming an increasingly severe problem in Malaysia - 80% of mismanaged waste on land ends up in our rivers and oceans. We are no strangers to water cuts as a result of unscheduled shutdowns of water treatment plants due to pollution incidents in our rivers which are getting more frequent especially in more recent times. This is a clear indication that the threats of pollution to our river basins and freshwater ecosystems are rising. 

Win up to

RM 3,000

and contribute to positive changes

What can we do as an individual or community to conserve and maintain a healthy river basin? From organising river cleanups to empowering communities to monitor water quality, there are a few initiatives that you can invest in.

Would you like to contribute to conserving and protecting river basins in your neighbourhood? Read through the criteria and submit your ideas by 10 January 2021. Six best proposals will receive up to RM 3,000 each to run the projects.

Terms and Condition:

  1. The nomination is open to individuals under the Eco-Schools and FEC Eco Campus programmes. However, if you are not part of the programmes, please mention your school/tertiary institution.

  2. You may apply for an individual, pair or a group of a maximum of four people (the principal applicant must be between 16-35 years old) category.  Self-nomination is allowed too. Please inform the nominees beforehand if you are nominating others for the project.

  3. Full name and contact details are needed for the nomination to be valid. WWF-Malaysia undertakes to comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance requirements to ensure that personal data is kept accurate and secure.

  4. The proposed projects must highlight the aspects of river conservation and/or the reduction of solid waste.

  5. The project must include at least one or a combination of the following elements: education and awareness, community engagement and outreach, or capacity building.

  6. WWF-Malaysia will immediately disqualify any proposed projects/ideas which contain illegal, political, violent, racist, sexist, controversial, or obscene content.

  7. River cleanup projects must be within the three (3) main river basins in Klang Valley, which are Langat River Basin, Klang River Basin, Selangor River Basin and their tributaries. However, other types of activities outside of Klang Valley will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  8. The proposed activities may include but are not limited to river clean ups. Any conservation efforts related to river conservation and solid waste management are welcomed, be it indoor or outdoor activities.

  9. Proposed ideas and contents must be original and developed by the applicants. However, the proposed project must not necessarily be new. You may also propose existing projects with NGOs or conservation efforts by communities to fit the criteria.

  10. Each project proposal must target the involvement of at least 20 participants to a maximum of 100 participants. It is encouraged that participation should be balanced in terms of gender and age groups.

  11. All projects must be implemented in accordance with the safety and health guidelines and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as advised by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

  12. If your project is selected, the project implementation must be delivered by 10 June 2021. A summary report of the project activities must be submitted according to the template and deadline provided. WWF-Malaysia will assist you in the project execution as well.

  13. Projects that can get visibility or communication highlights on any social media platform will get special acknowledgment from WWF-Malaysia.

  14. All results are final based on evaluation and voting. WWF-Malaysia reserves the right to modify or cancel the nomination process or any of the arrangements, schedules, plans or other items directly or indirectly related to the Eco Champion Awards, at any time and for any reason if deemed necessary.

  15. Disbursement of the project grant will be done in two stages within the 10-weeks project duration (31 March - 10 June 2021). The grant recipients for the successful projects will receive the  first half (50%) of the grant in April 2021 to initiate the project, and the remaining 50% balance will be released based on the project’s progress report in May 2021.

  16. Photographs and videos may be taken during the nomination process and final event. By nominating, you acknowledge and agree that the organisers may use the picture and videos connected with communications of the Eco-Champion Award. If you disagree with this usage, please write in, and we will remove or blur the images/videos in our communication media.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has” - Margaret Mead

How does it work?

There are a total of 5 Phases in the Eco Champion Awards. Those are :​

 

Phase 1

Nomination/Application for the Eco Champions Awards and submission of proposal

15 Dec 2020 to 17 January 2021

-COMPLETED-

Phase 2

Project Proposal video pitch

January - February 2021

-COMPLETED-

Phase 3

Voting period and evaluation of proposal

(Note: Voting will only amount to 30% of the total marks)

February 2021

-COMPLETED-

Phase 4

Announcement of Eco Champion Award 2021 recipients

March 2021

-COMPLETED-

Phase 5

Project duration

31 March to 10 June 2021 (10 weeks)

Watch their videos here &

vote now!

What is Eco Champion Awards

Contact Us

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Mathi Vatani

Project Manager | Eco Champion Awards 2021 

WWF-Malaysia

Tel: +603 7450 3773 Ext. 6317

Email: mvatani@wwf.org.my

Please send your queries here & I will get in touch with you the soonest.

Success! Message received.

ECA 2021 Winners
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