Protecting our water resources begins not only with technology and engineering solutions, but also with awareness, understanding and action from an early age.
On 8 July 2026, academicians from the Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) brought their expertise beyond the university classroom to engage school children from SJK(C) Woon Hwa in understanding one of our most important environmental responsibilities, i.e. protecting our water sources from pollution.
Led by Ts. Dr. Yong Ee Ling as the speaker and supported by facilitators Dr. Ponselvi Jeevaragagam, Ts. Dr. Kogila Vani Annammala, Dr. Mazlin Jumain, Dr. Farah Amalina Ishak and Dr. Siti Nor Hidayah Arifin, together with Dr. Khairunnisa Abdul Halim and Ms. Ang Yi Jia, the session took students through the journey of pollutants in our environment. These include how water pollution occurs, where pollutants go, and why their impacts can extend far beyond what we can immediately see.
Through interactive activities, students explored how pollution can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and contribute to the loss of aquatic biodiversity. A sticker game was used to demonstrate bioaccumulation and the transfer of pollutants through the food chain, helping students visualise how pollutants can eventually pose long-term risks to ecosystems and human health.
The session also connected water pollution to the challenges of water treatment. As our rivers and other water sources become increasingly polluted, producing clean and safe water becomes more challenging and may require more intensive treatment processes. Through a DIY water filter activity, students built their own simple filters and observed how different materials could remove visible impurities from water. More importantly, they discovered an essential lesson: water that looks clean is not necessarily safe, as some pollutants cannot be seen or removed through simple filtration.
Through initiatives such as this, FKA UTM continues to extend engineering knowledge beyond the university, translating scientific and engineering concepts into meaningful and engaging learning experiences for the younger generation. By nurturing environmental awareness from an early age, we hope to inspire our young water guardians to recognise that protecting our water sources today means protecting our ecosystems, our health and our future. 💧🌱
#UTM #FKAUTM #CommunityEngagement #KnowledgeTransfer #EnvironmentalAwareness #WaterPollution #WaterConservation #SDGs #UTMASCEND2030
