Zanzibar — AS part of new initiatives to improve biodiversity in the Indian Ocean islands, plans are underway to extend environmental awareness to children in Zanzibar schools.

Two officers from the "Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)," said in a statement after a five-day visit to Zanzibar that each country in the region should address the environment issue.

"Our mission was to see, within Zanzibar context, how we can implement our communication and awareness activities, and we have decided to reach children by way of essay competitions," the statement reads. Mr Andry Rasoanindrainy and Ms Virginie Torrens from IOC said in the statement that the topic for Zanzibar school children will be "Deforestation".

The best story from each country in the contest will be compiled and published in a book and then distributed. "Short cartoons addressing sustainable development issues of targeted islands will be also broadcast on national Television with the help of the ministry responsible for environment, and NGOS," it says.

According to the officials, a regional meeting of the coral reef facility platform and the 2nd IOC steering committee meeting will be held in November this year followed by the planned sustainable development activities. They advised governments to adopt environmental education programmes that teach children that human life must be subordinated to the preservation of nature.