CEPA (Communication, Education, Public Awareness)

COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION, PUBLIC AWARENESS (CEPA)

Our Mother Nature is full of exquisite flora and fauna, thus contributing in human prosperity and development. Every living creature has its own significance although it is often underestimated by most of people. Here comes the role of CEPA; the importance of biodiversity can be spread widely to the society by improvising the CEPA. This convention stands for Communication, Education and Public Awareness which the target is to conserve the biological diversity and to reduce the threat to the species and ecosystems. Through communication, the information can be conveyed thoroughly to the community. Misconception or lack of knowledge can be overcome by education such as ‘save the earth’ campaign or wildlife courses. Social media and newspapers are some of the good platform to aware the public how essential to protect the ecosystem.

The need to initiate the CEPA starts on November 1988 where the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) arranged a formal meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on Biological Diversity. Inspired by the expanding commitment of the world’s society toward sustainability, the Convention start to authorize on 29 December 1993. In 1982, ‘Environmental Education’ (Alam dan Manusia) was introduced to Malaysian school system targeting the primary schools. However in 1992, CEPA was included in the curriculum of different subjects. By doing this, the students can relate more the environmental activity with their surroundings.

Involvement of individuals, stakeholders and groups in society are crucial to decrease the biodiversity loss and protect the ecosystems. CEPA provides policies, incentives and regulation to handle biodiversity conservation issues. The institutions and organizations play roles as a stage or base to conducted learning process and innovation through CEPA, in addition to sharing agreements and trust to enhance the conservation activity. Collaboration of all level of society starting from the farmers to the higher officers to the business person must be strengthen to induce CEPA in daily life. Education in schools and learning centre  are the stepping stone to widen the awareness in the public.

Malaysian Nature Society is one of the agency that involved in CEPA activity where their activity is to educate the public on conserving and protecting the ecosystem through education, campaign and recycle programme. Furthermore, Alam Flora Sdn. Bhd. is responsible to collect and disposing the waste materials environmentally friendly. They also conduct the recycling activity. Moreover, Jabatan Alam Sekitar has roles to enforce the ‘Akta Kualiti Alam Sekitar’, to prevent, control the pollution and enhance the ecosystem quality and related laws. They also organized the conservation programme through education as example ‘Sekolah Lestari_Anugerah Alam Sekitar’. Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) take care on doing research and development for forestry resources. Next, Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara gives education on forest protection and protecting the wildlife and national parks. In addition, reforestation, proclaiming the national parks, reserve forest and marine parks as well as conducting the silviculture treatment has been organized by Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia.

CEPA activity that can be done is to organize campaign of conservation targeting on school children, youth, villagers as well as urban community. The society must acknowledge and understand the importance of conserving the ecosystem so that they can implement what they gain into their daily life. Organizing collaboration between university and schools is one of the examples on how to educate the youngster about wildlife and biodiversity. Starting from a simple action such as assorting the waste into their category, this may lead to further understanding on why we must save the Earth by stop chopping the tree to avoid illegal hunting.   

The organization of Earth Day Dinner (Majlis Malam Hari Bumi) is one of the way to show support to CEPA by empowering the recycle activity to every college in UPM. The committees from each college were assigned to assist and encourage the involvement of students in the respective colleges to participate in recycle activity. The awareness about the significance of recycle is conveyed to the students of UPM and participants of that event. The involvement of Coca-Cola Company into this event proves that a successful collaboration can be done between UPM and other influencing company to generate the CEPA programme. Essay writing and speech delivery competition is the example of education and communication that held by Earth Day Dinner which attract the participants from nearby schools and institutions.

CEPA can be successful if cooperation and collaboration between many parties can be achieved. The role of spreading the knowledge does not burdened on teachers and lecturers only, but everyone in the society must take the responsibility to communicate well, educate people around us and spreading the awareness to the public on how to make Earth a better place by conserving and protecting the nature. Malaysian Nature Society is one of the NGOs that received the international recognition through BirdLife International, one of the well-known global organizations in conservation as a focal point for CEPA activity and should be acknowledge by the government and corporate parties.

The Malaysian government have developed strategies to enhance CEPA for the sake of Malaysia people. One of them is to improve the syllabus of subject in the schools. By doing this, the students will be more disclose to the conservation activity thus may influence others to give some contribution. Enforcing the law and regulating the system can be done so that biodiversity loss can be reduced. Replantation of the forest can be increased to recover the habitat loss of the certain animals.

In my opinion, CEPA in Malaysia is still in lower level in Malaysian people and need to be improvised actively to achieve the target. Many effective ways involving institutions, schools, NGOs and government can be done to make the CEPA successful. Collaboration and cooperation must involved every level of society.