The 8 April marked a proud moment for Malta's role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) when Għajn National Water Conservation Awareness Centre in Rabat, managed by the Energy and Water Agency, was awarded the prestigious European Sustainability Award for 2019 from the European Commission.
This award gives recognition to best practices in the European Union that focus on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and GĦAJN has been selected as a case of best practice within the public entities category across the EU for the ESD activities undertaken at the Centre.
Through its actions and educational work, GĦAJN addresses 10 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. GĦAJN hosts school students all year round through an educational programme that supports the National Curriculum Framework. MIO-ECSDE (Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development) and Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean assisted GĦAJN in the delivery of its water conservation educational message. Furthermore, Ekoskola and Nature Trust Malta provided invaluable support on the educational content, together with HSBC’s Water Programme.
Prof. Paul Pace and Dr Alexandra Mifsud from the Centre for Environmental Education and Research (CEER) at the University of Malta served as the Education for Sustainable Development contact point. Ms Amanda Zahra, a past student on CEER’s Masters in ESD programme has been engaged as Policy Officer on Education by the Energy and Water Agency and plays an integral role in the delivery of the educational content at GĦAJN.
View the video on Għajn National Water Conservation Awareness Centre.
More information on the award can be found by visiting the Energy and Water Agency website.