EEG awards winners of the 15th cycle of the environmental drawing competition virtually

Dubai: The 15^th cycle of the Environmental Drawing Competition of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) has been a big success, with more than 100,000 students and 110 schools participating. A virtual awarding ceremony event was organised by EEG on 24^th May to announce and celebrate the wonderful accomplishments of the students who won in the Environmental Drawing Competition 2021.

The yearly competition seeks to nurture the younger generations' creativity and increase their understanding of sustainability challenges, leading pupils to develop a sense of care and of respect for the environment via the medium of art. With the increasing prominence and popularity of the contest, the numbers have gradually climbed over the years. We are overly thrilled of the youngsters who have taken part this year and praise the efforts of the schools and the art professors who want to educate young people about the issues posed by the pandemic.

At this event, Mrs Habiba Al Mar'ashi, Chairperson of EEG, welcomed students, professors, and principals, with a proud remark: “The competition this year along with the themes have clearly incorporated into the minds of the youth a innate understanding of several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 3 – Good Health and Well Being, Goal 4 – Quality Education, Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13 – Climate Action, Goal 14 -  Life Below Water, Goal 15 – Life on Land and of course Goal 17 – Partnership for Goals. The themes were selected with great consideration with suggestions and evaluations from educators, EEG members, EEG Board members and other stakeholders.  This year, we witnessed the participation of 110 schools, received almost 1,000 drawings and had a total outreach of 100,950 numbers of students.”

Art does not show people what to do, yet engaging with a good work of art can connect you to your senses; body and mind. Art as an expression has enabled students in all the 7 Emirates to generate a lasting and strong influence, to encourage viewers and environmental activities, both from regular and determined schools. The awarding ceremony praised the great young artists and presented a luxurious and colorful atmosphere with the 38 winning submissions. Each of the wonderful pictures had a distinct vision of the environmental concerns and showed optimism for a sustainable future for young people.

A team of professionals, directed by the legendary Emirati artist Dr Najat Makki, who has been the leading figure in emirates for almost 40 years, was responsible for the evaluation of the competition.

This year the competition comprised three broad and strong topics, which were organised according to the latest environmental challenges and trends. “Your Vision of Biodiversity by 2030” was developed in strong correlation with the biodiversity strategy for 2030, a comprehensive, ambitious and long-term plan to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems, for students between 6 and 8 years. In alignment with UAE’s ambitious goal of delivering one of the most sustainable World Expos ever,  EEG further contributed through the topic of “Dubai Expo and the Future of Sustainability”, for students between 9 and 12 years, which encouraged them to visualise and to inspire others to reaffirm their commitment to the environment and protecting the Earth for future generations. The oldest participants of the competition, between the age of 13 and 15 years, presented entries under the topic of “Sustainable Recovery After the Pandemic”. This topic was chosen to shed light on the the pandemic and actions needed today to unlock short term gains, such as jobs and economic growth, as well as deliver the longer-term benefits of resilience, decarbonisation, cleaner air and water, healthier oceans, and more sustainable food and agriculture systems.

The winning students received gifts, courtesy of Dabur, Al Hathboor International. Save our World also contributed books to be given to the students.

The winners of EEG’s Environmental Drawing Competition 2021 were:

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Emirates Environmental Group: EEG is a professional working group established in 1991 devoted to protecting the environment through the means of education, action programmes and community involvement. EEG is actively encouraged and supported by concerned local and federal government agencies. It is the first environmental NGO in the world to be ISO 14001 certified and the only organisation of its kind in the UAE with accredited status to the United Nations Convention to Combating Desertification (UNCCD) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). EEG is the member of the UN Global Compact and the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN).  For more information, contact us: email: eeg@emirates.net.ae ; Tel: 04-3448622; Fax: 04-3448677 and please visit our bi-lingual website: www.eeg-uae.org ; Follow us on FB: Emirates Environmental Group; Twitter: eeg_uae; Instagram: EEGDUBAI;

© Press Release 2021