Ruaa Organizes Awareness Lecture at Omran School on Marine Turtle Protection

Ruaa Centre for Strategic Studies, Consultations, and Training organized an awareness lecture titled “Protecting Marine Turtles Is Everyone’s Responsibility” at Omran Basic Education School in Al-Buraiqa District, Aden. The event was supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Small Grants Programme (SGP), in cooperation with the Office of the General Authority for Environmental Protection, within the framework of the project “Save Marine Turtles in the Gulf of Aden.”

The lecture aimed to raise environmental awareness among students and the local community about the importance of marine turtles and their role in maintaining marine ecological balance, as well as to introduce the threats facing them and ways to protect them and preserve their natural habitats along the Gulf of Aden coastline.

In her speech during the event, Dr. Jaklin Mansoor Al-Battani, Head of Ruaa Centre, emphasized that protecting marine turtles is a collective responsibility requiring joint official and community efforts. She noted the centre’s commitment to implementing educational and awareness programs targeting students and youth to strengthen environmental awareness and promote the values of biodiversity conservation, contributing to the protection of natural resources for future generations.

For his part, Omran School principal, Mr. Raafat, welcomed Ruaa Centre’s initiative to organize the awareness lecture at the school, praising the efforts made to spread environmental culture among students and affirming the school administration’s readiness to cooperate with initiatives aimed at developing students’ awareness and strengthening their positive role in protecting the environment and society.

Dr. Jamal Bawazir, Head of the Environmental Protection Unit at the centre, presented during the lecture an overview of marine turtles, the species found in the Gulf of Aden, and their vital role in sustaining the marine ecosystem. He also highlighted the main threats they face, including pollution, overfishing, and the destruction of nesting areas, and provided practical guidelines that communities can follow to help protect marine turtles and comply with laws regulating marine wildlife protection.

The lecture witnessed notable interaction from students, who showed great interest in the information presented about marine turtles and methods of protecting them. They asked numerous questions that reflected their growing awareness of environmental issues.

The activity also included placing awareness posters around the school facilities, featuring guidance messages and informative images highlighting the importance of protecting marine turtles and preserving coastal environments from pollution and harmful practices. These posters aimed to reinforce environmental concepts among students continuously and strengthen the presence of environmental awareness in daily school life.

This activity comes within the ongoing efforts of Ruaa Centre, in partnership with supporting and environmental entities, to enhance community awareness of marine biodiversity issues in the Gulf of Aden through educational and awareness programs targeting different segments of society, contributing to building a generation more aware of its responsibility toward environmental protection and sustainable natural resources.