Faafu Atoll Education Centre has won the Zayed Sustainability Prize, held in memory of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)‘s Founder, Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Faafu Atoll Education Centre won the award in the Global High Schools – South Asia category competing against 18 other schools from across the world. The award recognised a project combining renewable energy, water management and sustainable agriculture presented by the school.
The project uses solar and wind energy, rainwater harvesting, freshwater storage systems, and hydroponics farming, including growing coconuts, breadfruit and medicinal plants.
According to the school’s principal, Abdulla Ahmed, the project was inspired by Addu High School, a previous winner of the same award. He said Faafu Atoll Education Centre currently spends over USD 6,485 a month on electricity, and that the project seeks to cut electricity costs. The school will install solar panels, and sell excess power to the FENAKA grid, using the revenue to air-condition the school. The project is expected to reduce 120 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
Plans also include supplying clean energy and water to the local hospital, expanding hydroponics, and setting up a drinking water purification system.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize awards USD 150,000 to winning schools and honours projects in sustainability, energy, water, food, health and education. Other Maldivian schools that have won the award include Addu High School and Hiraa School.