CONNECTOR.AE 54 CONNECTOR.AE 55 Lifestyle Lifestyle In recent years, a lot of emphasis has been placed on making the planet and the environment, a better place to live in for current and future generations. One of the big goals that countries around the world, especially the UAE, aim to increase awareness on is sustainability, with targets set to reduce the carbon footprints of individuals and the country, preserving natural resources, and coming up with innovative solutions to prevent their depletion. The UAE has launched several initiatives including the UAE Energy Strategy where by 2050, Dubai aims to generate 75% of its power through clean resources. However, contributions made by individuals as well as businesses can also go a long way, in helping out with the long goal towards sustainability. As children are future change makers, they can provide insight into the world they would like to live in and come up with innovative solutions to make the world a better place. They can also encourage others to join in and raise awareness of the cause. Since 2021, the Water Alliance Association in the UAE, created in 2014 with the aim to create new solutions to preserve natural resources while ensuring clean water is accessible to all, joined up with Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), and launched the ‘RE-NEW Our World Student Water Innovation Challenge’. Meet The Students With Their Own Innovative Ideas For Targeting Water Crisis Over the years, through constant change and evolution, there has been a detrimental impact on the planet. Through changes like overpopulation and subsequently not enough resources to cater to all, as well as through pollution that takes a toll on the quality of air, water and soil, the effects have on the Earth are clear. In January 2023, the third challenge was launched where students aged 8 to 18 years old from schools around the UAE, were encouraged to come up with innovative solutions to reduce the water crisis. The competition was divided into three categories, junior group from students aged 8 to 11 years old, middle for 12 to 14 year olds and senior for 15 to 18 year olds. Connector spoke to the two winners from the senior and middle categories, Sinchana Hiremath and Aliya Nujum Navaz, as they shared their experiences of the competition and the future of the ideas created. Sinchana Hiremath, aged 15 years old from GEMS Our Own English School in Dubai, won the challenge in the senior category for 15 to 18 years olds, with her idea to prevent water pollution. An avid makeup and skincare enthusiast, Sinchana Hiremath started working on her idea before the challenge, when she was using a face wash that had microbeads
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