Description/achievement of initiative
The Ecowatch Club is an initiative targeted at raising awareness among youths in schools and colleges on the need to imbibe positive attitudes toward their local environment. This way, some of the human actions that causes climate change such as bush burning, indiscriminate plastic waste disposal, will be minimized if not completely eradicated. Again, this environmental education club is a train the trainer platform as it is expected that members of the club would transfer their knowledge on climate change and its impact to others.
Implementation methodologies
The Ecowatch Club in each school are made up of motivated students and teachers. There are weekly meeting at each branch during which environmental lectures/seminars are presented to further boost the members' knowledge on climate change and its impact. On last Friday of every month, a local government sensitization seminar is put together for schools in the local government area. This local government sensitization is rotational from one local government area to another. Members of the Club are also encouraged to carryout individual or collective community project(s) on Climate Change mitigation in their schools or immediate environment. Prizes and awards are given to best projects of the year during The Ecowatch day celebration, which comes up every August 15.
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Coordination mechanisms/governance structure
Each branch of The Ecowatch Club has an Executive comprising of the President, Vice President, General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer, Provost and Staff Adviser. Apart from the Staff Adviser, all members of the Executive are Students elected at congress. The Executive of each branch report directly to the National Executive Coordinator, who is the initiator of the club.
Partner(s)
The Ecowatch, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Akwa Ibom State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists