Stakeholder meeting for Sandwatch Pilot Project in Liquica, Timor Leste

• ŠUNESCO Office, Jakarta/Dwi
• Representatives from District Ministry of Education gave the certificate to participants.

To mark the end of Sandwatch pilot project in Liquica, Timor Leste, a stakeholder meeting was held on 4 October 2013. The meeting was organized by Timor Leste National Commission for UNESCO (TL NatCom) and attended by representatives from the Liquica District Ministry of Education, and teachers and student representatives from the two schools involved in the Sandwatch pilot project. The purpose of the meeting was to share the results of monitoring activities implemented since June 2013.

The meeting, held in Liquica, was attended by approximately 50 participants, 40 students from the two schools involved in the pilot project (Saint Jhon de Brito and Public 1), 6 teachers, 2 headmasters and 1 representative from the District Ministry of Education. During the meeting, representatives from the two schools presented the results of their Sandwatch activities for the past 4 months. Beach monitoring was done 4 times from June to September, which focused on four themes: Waste on the Beach; Plants and Animals; Beach Erosion; and Beach Profile.

Presentations were followed by active discussion sessions, involving not only students but also teachers. Based on the results of beach monitoring, the participants recommended that the beach should be maintained since it was already somewhat damaged due to human activities. Some teachers who were not involved on the activities shared the same concerns and gave some recommendations on how to conserve the coastal area.

The themes dealt with in the Sandwatch project were related to one of the subjects in Senior High School, so the knowledge obtained through beach monitoring proved to be really useful for the participants, as they learned not only the theory but also the real condition of their beach. The meeting concluded with participants and representatives from the schools agreeing to incorporate Sandwatch monitoring activities as an extracurricular activity at the schools. TL NatCom agreed to support the schools to continue the project.

If your school is interested to join Sandwatch or would like further information on Sandwatch pilot project in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, please contact Lisa Hiwasaki (l.hiwasaki(at)unesco.org).


Related link: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/priority-areas/sids/sandwatch/

• 04-11-2013