Kota Kinabalu: Sabah has unveiled a comprehensive suite of environmental education materials aimed at strengthening environmental literacy and fostering a culture of sustainability among students, educators and local communities across the state.
The newly developed resources comprise six environmental education modules covering key areas such as water, land use, waste management, energy, climate change, and Communication, Education and Public Awareness (Cepa).
Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Dr Andi Md Shamsureezal Mohd Sainal, representing Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin, said the initiative also introduced two educational board games — EcoExplorers and Ecopolitan — designed to make environmental learning more engaging and accessible.
“The materials were developed through a study on the provision of educational resources and best practices in implementing the Sabah Environmental Education Policy, which was completed in April last year,” he said at the launch of the Environmental Education Materials and Best Practices Report on the Implementation of the Sabah Environmental Education Policy, Thursday.
He said the materials are intended to provide a more structured, interactive and impactful approach to environmental education while ensuring that learning resources can be easily accessed and utilised by various segments of society.
“Beyond serving as teaching and learning tools, the resources are expected to support environmental awareness programmes, community engagement initiatives and research activities throughout Sabah,” he added.
Andi described the launch as another milestone in Sabah’s efforts to strengthen environmental education, building on the state’s long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability.
“We remain the first state in Malaysia to introduce a dedicated Environmental Education Policy in 2009 to coordinate environmental education efforts among government agencies, schools, educational institutions and community stakeholders.
“In response to environmental challenges, environmental education is a key strategy in nurturing informed and responsible citizens capable of contributing to conservation and sustainable development efforts,” he said.
Over the years, Andi said the Sabah Environmental Protection Department (JPAS) had spearheaded various environmental education initiatives, including the Sekolah Rakan Alam Sekitar (Serasi) programme, the establishment of the Sabah Environmental Education Network (Seen), and citizen science projects involving schools, higher learning institutions and local communities.
He said the newly launched materials are expected to complement these ongoing efforts by providing practical, standardised and locally relevant resources for environmental learning and awareness activities.
The event was attended by students and teachers from 16 schools representing districts across Sabah.
Andi hoped the educational materials would help cultivate environmental responsibility from an early age and inspire collective action to safeguard Sabah’s natural heritage for future generations.
Also present were Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Permanent Secretary Datuk Josie Lai, JPAS Acting Director Daisy Aloysius, Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) Deputy Director-General (Operations) Robert Lipon, and Department of Environment Director Nor Rashidah Moh Ghazali.
