The Ministry of Education and Environment Society of Oman (ESO) has announced the winners of the third edition of the Namat Competition 2022-2023 which focused on three themes – water management, waste management and energy management

Shouts of sheer joy filled the Divan Ballroom of Muscat Novotel Hotel yesterday and students belonging to nine different schools bagged the Namat Sustainability Awards – an acknowledgment of their clear understanding of the need to conserve and manage the planet’s resources in a way that it augurs well for their own future.

The annual competition organised by ESO to encourage and recognise action for sustainability and environmental consciousness among Omani government school students, parents, and staff, was ably supported by the Ministry of Education. H E Dr Abdullah bin Khamis Ambusaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Education Affairs, who presided over the awards ceremony, asserted that a competition of this format goes a long way in spreading the concept of sustainability in young minds to make them conscious citizens of Oman’s future.

H E Ambusaidi took a tour of the shortlisted projects and later handed over the awards for the winning innovative contributions. The best entries received RO1,000 each, thanks to the support of Veolia Oman, an environmental management company which has taken up the mission of encouraging students to think creatively and consciously about conserving the planet’s resources for a better tomorrow.

Dr Amor al Matani, president of Environment Society of Oman, said, “The Namat Competition not only encourages students to develop innovative environmental solutions but also fosters a sense of responsibility and stewardship towards the environment. By engaging young minds, this initiative plays a vital role in shaping future leaders who will contribute to the sustainability of Oman. We invite all schools, students, teachers, and communities to join us for the fourth edition of the Namat Competition in the upcoming year.”

This year’s Namat Competition focused on the themes of water management, waste management and energy management, encouraging participants to explore ways to improve sustainability at their schools and minimise the environmental impact of human activities on schools, communities, and the environment. The nine winning schools were selected from over 50 entries from across Oman.

Erwan Rouxel, CEO at Veolia Oman said, “We are invested in the creativity, commitment, and ambition shown by all the participating teams, which can make a real impact on where they live and study. Veolia Oman is more than happy to make sure some great awards were on offer to celebrate the winning teams’ desire to make a sustainable change for themselves and their communities.”

He further said, “In every country that Veolia does business, we try to get close to the local community that we serve. And this ‘Green School’ initiative definitely makes sense, especially with regard to ecological transformation and climate change. What I felt most impressive in this competition was the commitment of the children, they are already totally aware of the ecological challenge that we are all facing now. Some of their projects could be inspiring for our company.”

Jawaher al Ghafri, ESO education coordinator and Namat project manager, told Muscat Daily that this year’s participation and projects were better than the previous year and it was quite evident from the overwhelming response from various schools.

“They are implementing certain activity in their respective schools and the surrounding community based on topics which were being discussed last year. And there has been good participation by teachers, students and parents. This is exactly what we want to see – an engagement from the whole community,” Jawaher said, adding that the teachers themselves have been role models for their students for them to truly understand the concept of sustainability in its true sense.

Dr Matani added, “We need to look at sustainability in a more holistic manner as it is something that embeds values in young minds and future leaders. We need a better understanding of the ecosystem and how we can give the new generation the tools and means to sustain this agenda in line with Oman’s Vision2040. If the future has to be driven by the younger generation and they have to enjoy it, from a sustainable perspective, they have to have a say at this level itself.”

The winners

The entries were judged by a team of experts that visited the shortlisted schools. The winners of the Namat Awards were:

Water Management

First place

Bilal bin Rabah School (Al Dakhliyah)

Second Place

Abdullah bin Al Abbas School (North Batinah)

Third Place

Al Qalah School in the (Al Dakhliyah)

Waste Management

First place

Al Sinainah School (Al Buraimi)

Second Place

Al Ma’amorah School (Al Dakhliyah)

Third Place

Al Hasan bin Al Haitham School (Al Dhahirah)

Energy Management

First place

Saima W Mouqzah School (Al Dakhliyah)

Second Place

Al Touq School in (Al Dakhliyah)

Third Place

Al Dhia School (North Batinah)