Education is a key component to raise the awareness and create an understanding for the importance of Indawgyi Lake for the local communities as well as for the environment. The Indawgyi Wetland Education Centre (IWEC) at the shores of Indawgyi Lake in Lonton village is at the heart of a lake-wide environmental education programme that targets local residents and schools, as well as domestic and international visitors who come to Indawgyi.
The Indawgyi education programme has been developed with the support of our international biosphere reserves partners in Germany and is based on modern, interactive, and creative teaching methods to create an exciting and inspiring learning atmosphere. Various free environmental education packages are available for schools and universities, addressing critical topics from ecosystem services to food chains, and the natural history of the local fauna and flora. Sustainable development packages with a strong emphasis on local approaches for fisheries, organic farming, community forestry, sanitation, and waste management are also available. Since the underfinanced public education sector cannot provide much financial leverage for environmental school education, an independent funding system for the Indawgyi education programme has been set up based on donations and the sale of locally produced merchandise. The weekly green club for the youth from nearby villages further provides a regular opportunity to participate in games, nature discoveries, experiments, and practical conservation activities to learn about the numerous facets of Indawgyi’s ecosystems. The partnerships with and regular visits of various schools from all over the Indawgyi Lake basin, and the participation at the cultural festivals in the biosphere reserve, such as the Shwe Myitzu Pagoda festival, have the potential to reach a diverse and large audience.
