TEHRAN — In a collaborative attempt, Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) and University of Environment teach students about water conservation, ISNA news agency reported on Monday.

DOE and University of Environment have devised a scheme with a purpose of teaching students about the importance of water conservation which is underway at some schools, deputy environment chief for teaching and public participation said.

The bilateral cooperation between University of Environment and teaching and public participation office of DOE has started since last year (March 2018-March 2019), Eskandar Omidinia said, adding that university students are tasked with teaching environmental issues, centering around water conservation, to elementary and high school students as well as university students.

The scheme was piloted in Alborz province and after analyzing the advantages and set backs of the plan it will be implemented on a larger scale in the summer, Omidinia explained.

The purpose of the scheme is to develop a connection between students at schools and university students and mobilizing the potential of the students in safeguarding the environment, he added.

Being young, students’ attitudes towards the environment can be easily shaped and sustainable development goals can be improved this way, he suggested.

He also highlighted that reducing water footprint in development is the main theme of the scheme aiming at crating green jobs and decreasing detriment environmental impacts.

Young people constitute a large part of the world’s population and young people will have to live longer with the consequences of current environmental decisions than will their elders. Future generations will also be affected by these decisions and the extent to which they have addressed concerns such as the depletion of resources, biodiversity loss, and long-lived radioactive wastes.

Young people can play an active role in protecting and improving the environment. They can change their lifestyle and how it affects the environment. According to the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development young people can make their homes, schools and youth organizations more environmentally friendly by adopting environmentally friendly practices, recycling of different materials as well as preserving resources such as water and electricity. Engaging youth in environmental protection not only creates direct impact on changing youth behaviors and attitudes, but possibly influence their parents, relatives and families.

MQ/MG