To support new and innovative water education, UNESCO held a hybrid workshop on 12-13 April 2023, on the development of Virtual Field Trip (VFT) for Africa, based on experiences in developing VFT series in Asia and the Pacific. The workshop was organized within the Malaysia-UNESCO Cooperation Programme (MUCP), in line with Malaysia’s priorities on sustainable development and interregional exchange and capacity development through South-South Cooperation.The VFT focuses on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) in arid and semi-arid climate at selected areas of interest in five countries, namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Experts presented the plan for Virtual Field Trips development and the approach for Africa, as well as the issues and challenges in different areas. VFTs foster engagement in the learning process through an immersive and interactive experience, which would otherwise be difficult to replicate in a traditional classroom setting.
This workshop aims to support students in the African continent in overcoming limitations of resource availability, access to scientific data and knowledge dissemination with respect to water resources and their management Dr Mee Young Choi – Officer-in-Charge of UNESCO Jakarta.The COVID pandemic has necessitated a shift towards online and hybrid learning. The VFT provides an alternate option for students when physical trips to sites, as part of the learning process, are limited. Through this knowledge sharing, students can explore real-world environments and gain a deeper understanding of complex concepts. This makes the learning process more meaningful and accessible. Fostering a deeper understanding of the importance of water resources, a VFT also promotes sustainable practices helping to protect our limited resources for future generations.
This initiative creates an inclusive learning environment promoting knowledge dissemination in the African context with a new design and innovative teaching approach Tuan Haji Jasri Kasim – Secretary General of Malaysian National Commission.The workshop was attended by representatives from the Malaysian and Tanzanian National Commissions for UNESCO, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change of Malaysia, experts in water management, representatives of Category 2 Centres, UNESCO Chair in Africa, and UNESCO offices in Jakarta, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi.The VFTs will be developed by the experts, based on the plans discussed at this workshop in collaboration with UNESCO and will be made available for students of water education, in Africa in the near future.
