- Hong Kong Carbon Reduction Campaign
- Global forest carbon research
- Securing water supply in China's heartland
- Taking direct action
- Saving the Freshwater Gharial in the Ganges
- Cleaning up the Ganges
- Untangling our understanding of lianas and climate change
- The Panama Canal Watershed Experiment
- Protecting the Ganges: Interschool Recycling Workshop
- Cooking on natural gas in the Yangtze
- Tackling illegal deforestation
- Johannesburg's Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit Project
- Baicheng wind farm project
Protecting the Ganges: Interschool Recycling Workshop
Young people will shape the future of our world. That's why WWF supports young people in building the knowledge, skills and values to safeguard our planet. The Ganges is under stress but one of the ways WWF is tackling this is through community and school engagement.
Climate challenge
The Ganges, (known locally as the Ganga), is an emblem of India's rich culture and ecology. It flows for 2,500 km from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal and there are 400 million people living in the river basin. The Ganges is home to over 140 fish species and the world's only mangrove inhabiting tigers. However, it is threatened by high levels of pollution, the associated risk of water borne diseases and excessive water withdrawals. Approximately two billion litres of untreated sewage flows into the river each day in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarkhand and West Bengal.
Insight and action
'Ganga and I: Together Forever' is WWF's public engagement campaign, fully funded by the HSBC Climate Partnership, which aims to make people think about their impact on the river. Alongside several other activities, WWF organised an interschool recycling workshop and debate to engage students in the issues and inspire them to take practical steps to reduce river pollution. Students and teachers from 12 schools in Kanpur took part and 48 students were appointed as peer educating Ganga Ambassadors for their school.
Outcomes
The Ganga Ambassadors collected trash at their schools over a two week period. Under the guidance of experts, each school used the rubbish to create an artistic response to one of four topics: Ganga of the past, Ganga in the present, the future of the Ganga if it continues to be polluted, and the future of the Ganga if we intervene. Students from each school also participated in a debate on whether 'Development cannot happen at the cost of environmental concerns.' The debate was won by St. Mary's Convent School, which received a prize from the Commissioner of Kanpur.
It has been an amazing experience to understand how much waste students generate in their everyday life. This learning-by-doing exercise has been a great eye-opener.
Ruchi Seth, Teacher, Huddard High School, Kanpur
The HSBC Climate Partnership is a five-year environmental programme between HSBC, The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF. It aims to reduce the impact of climate change on people, forests, freshwater and cities and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon policies.
