KATHMANDU:

A three-day inter-school environment quiz contest was held recently to mark the World Environment Day on June 5. A press statement issued by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya came out the winner in the competition, which had participants from 26 schools from Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Kathmandu districts.

The quiz was jointly organised by ICIMOD, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, and the United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNEP/ROAP), Bangkok in close coordination with Team for Nature and Wildlife (TNW) Nepal. It was supported by Radio Nepal.

The first runners-up was Panga Secondary School with St Mary’s High School as the second runners-up.

The contest was held at ICIMOD headquarters. Five preliminary rounds among the 26 schools were held on May 31 and a semi final round with 10 schools on June 2.

The winning team would be sponsored by UNEP/ROAP to attend a

South Asia Youth Environment Network meeting in Ahmedabad, India in November this year.

The main objectives of the contest were to cultivate an environmental awareness among students and general public so that they will act positively towards protecting the planet; and to highlight the importance of climate change, and its impacts, especially melting of Himalayan glaciers.

The World Environment Day is the United Nations’ flagship environment event and is celebrated on June 5 every year in more than 100 countries.