The Ministry of Education and Sports is to introduce education on water and education in ten schools in Nepal. The objective of the programme, which will be carried out by the Ministry, the UN HABITAT Water for Asian Cities Programme Nepal and Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness, is to teach children to conserve water and adopt good sanitation practices.

With poor sanitation and inadequate water facilities still claiming many lives in Nepal, the Ministry admits that it is late in introducing a curriculum to sensitise young people to water and sanitation issues. 'Since lack of adequate drinking water and proper sanitation is emerging as a major global problem, students are going to be provided with a value-based WATSAN education,' said Dr. Roshan Raj Shrestha, Chief Technical Adviser of UN HABITAT. Students and teachers at the ten schools will be taught about water conservation and use, sanitation and public health. Two of the schools will be selected as models, with additional infrastructure development under the programme.

Related news:

• Pakistan, Islamabad: government schools lack toilets and drinking water, Source South Asia, 20 Aug 2008;
• Nepal: government prepares for possible diarrhoea epidemic, Source South Asia, 18 Aug 2008

Web site: Water for Asian Cities Programme Nepal

Contact: Ministry of Education and Sports, infomoe@most.gov.np

Source:NGO Forum, 19 Aug 2008

Tags: information and communication, school sanitation, south asia, water resources management