SCHOOLS GO GREEN: ADEC AND URBAN PLANNING COUNCIL SIGN MOU FOR ESTIDAMA PARTNERSHIP

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Abu Dhabi –  The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) today signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) to develop the ADEC Estidama Schools Pearls Program at the Building Schools Exhibition and Conference – Middle East and North Africa (BSEC MENA) being held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 13-14 December 2009.
 
“Today we begin the process of laying the foundation for our children’s educational future. Through ADEC’s 10 Year Strategic Plan we are delivering a system of educational excellence based on world class curricula and state of the art school facilities that encourage learning within a sustainable environment,” said HE Salem Al Sayeri, Acting Director General at ADEC. “Our partnership with UPC and Estidama is tangible, will be seen and enjoyed for generations to come.” 
 
“Education is at the forefront of Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030 and is an essential part to the development, prosperity, and sustainability of the Emirate. With this in mind, ADEC is the main endorser for BSEC MENA which is being held for the first time in the Middle East,” added HE Mr Al Sayeri.
 
The ADEC Estidama Schools Pearls Program will provide collaborative dialogue between Estidama and ADEC about the processes, strategies, and techniques that are most effective for achieving Estidama’s highest rating, the 3-Pearl rating. This process will be applied to the first group of school plans that ADEC currently has under design. The ultimate goal is to create and implement the highest standards of sustainable school buildings and designs in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Estidama, which means ‘sustainability’ in Arabic, is Abu Dhabi’s contribution to the global discussion of how to create more sustainable communities, cities and global enterprises. It is the result of a clear political vision that is intended to balance environmental, economic, cultural and social imperatives in pursuit of a higher quality of life for all living things.
Estidama is the first program of its kind that is tailored to the mid-east region. It was developed to support Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, under the direction of the UPC.
Estidama’s philosophy is based on four pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, social, and cultural. These underpin Estidama’s multidimensional approach to the implementation of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030.
The ADEC Estidama Schools Pearls Program will test a number of potential scenarios using a variety of sustainability decision support tools. Estidama team members will provide counsel and advice to the ADEC teams on best practices, techniques and strategies to improve project performance. The program will play a valuable role in shaping and informing the final ADEC Estidama Schools Pearls Program which will be part of ADEC’s School Design Manual. Consultation and collaboration between ADEC and Estidama will be ongoing.
 
BSEC originated in the United Kingdom (UK) five years ago and has since expanded to include the MENA region event. In the first year, BSEC had 100 conference attendees and 300 exhibition attendees. This has now grown to an overall attendance of 8,000 in its fifth year. Details of the BSEC programme can be found at: buildingschools.co.uk/mena
 
For more information about ADEC’s Strategic Plan, go to: www.adec.ac.ae

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