ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION FOR SCHOOLS IN HOI AN -A Teacher’s Guide-

On December 15th, 2009, the People’s Council of Hoi An City approved a Resolution on “Building Hoi An as an Eco-City”, with three specific criteria aiming to ensure balanced and sustainable development, not only promoting economic and social development, but also focusing on environmental protection. During the process of building the eco-city, Hoi An has been promoting many activities to protect the environment and natural resources, which have achieved many remarkable results in recent years. Despite the fact that the city has a population of only about 100,000 people, due to its being a tourist city, Hoi An attracts more than 5 million visitors annually (as reported in 2019), which is expected to continue to increase in the coming years. Therefore, one of the great pressures on the city is the effective management of a large amount of domestic waste (from households, restaurants, hotels and commercial areas), including plastic waste leaking into or retained in the environment every day. Rational use and effective management of these waste not only contributes to the reduction of environmental pollution and resource saving, but also contributes significantly to reducing greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions and to promoting sustainable lifestyles and consumption for each individual and community and for the whole of society.
Within the framework of cooperation between the Environmental Agency of Hoi An City, the University of Da Nang and IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET), this environmental education guide, titled “Ecological Education for Schools in Hoi An: A Teacher’s Guide”, has been developed as a supporting document for teachers and those involved in education and communication activities in Hoi An schools to promote a so-called “eco-lifestyle” through integration of knowledge, skills and practical experience in training programs for primary and secondary school students.