The administration and pupils of a Pakistani orphanage said on Saturday that the institution would assist organic farming and water conservation in South Asia with the $100,000 Zayed Sustainability Prize it received at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai.
One of the biggest orphanages in Azad Kashmir, the KORT (Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust) Education Complex, was named the finest “Global School” in South Asia by the UN climate conference for its creative organic farming and water conservation programme. It faced off against two other Indian and Bangladeshi applicants for the prize.
Sumiya and Kinza Bibi, two young school representatives, received the medal from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at Dubai Expo City.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize honours Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, by rewarding small and medium-sized enterprises, nonprofits, and high schools that address health, food, energy, water, and climate change.
We are appreciative that the government of the United Arab Emirates has acknowledged our work to educate and increase public understanding of climate change. Over the phone, school principal Zaib-un-Nisa told Arab News, “We will use the award money to promote organic farming and water conservation in our area in Kashmir.”
“The KORT will be working to maintain the ecosystem and raise public awareness on a large scale by promoting biogas and biofertilizers.”
Pakistan is among the nations most susceptible to the effects of climate change; the country’s average annual water availability is less than 1,000 cubic metres, making water scarce for every citizen.
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The school’s programme, led by second-year pupils Sumiya and Kinza, involves using compost and water-saving techniques to grow a variety of crops, including potatoes, onions, cabbage, and some fruits.
“We turn kitchen waste into compost for our organic farming on school grounds to meet the dietary requirements of the dorm residents,” stated Sumiya.
The KORT Education Complex, which occupies 7.5 hectares in the center of Mirpur City, provides housing for more than 550 orphaned children whose families perished in the terrible earthquake of 2005. A benefactor founded it in 2016 with the goal of providing boarding, education, and shelter for orphans.
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About twenty-five students at the school are engaged in a “micro project” that focuses on water conservation and organic farming. They plan to work together to spread the word about it to more local colleges and universities.
Sumiya and I made the decision to establish a little garden at our school in order to practice organic farming and water conservation. The negative consequences of climate change, such as air pollution, water scarcity, and food security, served as the impetus for this concept.
Sensor taps, according to Kinza, the department director for water conservation, can save as much as 40% of the enormous amounts of water that conventional running taps used to squander every day.
“The installation of sensor taps is costly, but it is worth spending on them as they help save the water,” the speaker continued. They want to raise awareness about water conservation by installing sensor taps in several public areas with the grant money.
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