TUNZA

National Advisor – Brunei Darussalam, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Environment Youth Envoy, Brunei; BSc Biology, University Brunei Darussalam

Jenson is studying Biology at the University of Brunei Darussalam. As a member of the executive committee of the Energy Club in his university, he was involved in recycling projects and river clean-up activities. In 2012, he was inducted to the Environment Youth Envoy Program that was initiated by the government's Department of Environment and Recreational Park to engage the youth in environmental activities. He is currently the president of UBD-1SB wildlife club, which promotes wildlife diversity by providing guided tours in Brunei's protected areas.

Affiliation: Environment Youth Envoy, Brunei; BSc Biology, University Brunei Darussalam

Hatadi is a Biology student at the University of Brunei Darussalam. As a member of the Brunei Youth Environment Envoy, he is involved in his club’s tree planting activities, beach clean-ups, and environmental awareness programs. He is also an active volunteer in various environmental activities initiated by the local NGOs. He recently volunteered in a recycling awareness program in Brunei’s water village, and in a field trip to Temburong that aimed to educate the students on Brunei’s diverse flora and fauna.

National Advisor – Cambodia, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Ministry of Environment

Seyla works for Cambodia's Ministry of Environment. He is currently involved in government-initiated projects such as climate change adaptation in coastal areas and environmental sensitivity mapping of the coast of Preah Sihanouk Province. Prior to this, he worked on a project called "Environmentally Sustainable City" that promoted reusable bags and encouraged waste segregation in Siem Reap Province. He recently represented his country in the ASEAN-China Youth Seminar on Green Economy and Ecological Innovation in Beijing, China, and the 2011 Tunza Conference in Bandung, Indonesia.

Affiliation: Environmental Science, Pannasastra Universty of Cambodia

Puthea always had a passion for the environment. He pursued this passion by studying environmental science at the Pannasastra University of Cambodia and by sharing what he learned through his involvements in numerous projects such as waste management and clean-up campaigns in his university, and his participation in the wetlands day celebration in Koh Kong province where he planted mangroves and taught kids about the importance of mangrove forests. Together with his classmates at the university, he conducts lectures and field activities to the local communities to raise environmental awareness and encourage community participation.

Affiliation: Sisowath High School

Pisey is only 16, but don’t let his youth deceive you because, in his case, great things do really come in small packages. Thanks to his older brother who is an environmentalist and a budding videographer, Pisey’s passion for the environment was awakened at such a young age. He helps his brother research and produce video documentaries on plastic bags and other relevant environmental issues in Cambodia. He also actively volunteers in community endeavors such as the city clean-ups, and biking activities. As his personal commitment to an eco-friendly lifestyle, he brings his own water bottle, and whenever possible, he rides a bike for short travels.

Affiliation: Department of Media and Communication, Royal University of Phnom Penh

Dara is a teacher at the Department of Media and Communication at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He uses his media savvy to raise awareness on the environment. Among his recent activities is his involvement in the UNDP photo-story contest on sustainable development and the “Youth Power” project with East West Center. Because of his contributions, he has been sent to represent his country in the 2011 TUNZA International Children and Youth Conference and Youth Forum on Climate Actions and Mountain Issues. He was also sent to Kyoto University for a course on Energy Science.

Global Youth Advisor, TUNZA
Affiliation: University of Indonesia

Grace is one of the Global Youth Advisors of UNEP’s TUNZA Program representing Asia and the Pacific. She has been actively involved in the consultations for the Post-2015 agenda and became one of UNEP Today’s Experts on Green Economy. She is currently getting her master’s degree on International Relations at the University of Indonesia. She is working on UNEP Bureaucratic Reformation, Post-2015 Development Agenda, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for her master’s thesis.

National Advisor – Indonesia, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Forest Product Technology, Faculty of Forestry, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB)

Zudi is an active member of the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA) and Forestry and Detara Foundation. With IFSA, he conducted a 4R (Reuse, Recyle, Reduce and Respect) Festival in his university and the communities near his university, and IFSA goes to the Village where they taught the local communities the basics of forestry and established partnerships with them to plant trees and protect the forests.

Affiliation: IFSA-LO, International Forestry Students’ Association

Asri is a member of the International Forestry Students’ Association. In May 2012, her organization hosted the 3rd IFSA Asia Regional Meeting where she was the program director. Through the meeting, which had the theme, “Optimizing forest conservation in Indonesia through the role of stakeholder's collaborative management to achieve forest sustainability," different stakeholders gathered to collaborate and share their ideas on forest sustainability. The meeting participants also had the chance to visit the Gurung Merapi National Park and Pertamina Geothermal to learn about environmental protection and clean energy.

Affiliation: Forest Product Technology, Faculty of Forestry, Bogor Agricultural University

Achmad is actively involved in IGaF-Indonesian Greenaction Forum, TUNZA Eco-generation, IFSA-International Forestry Students’ Association. He is also a UNESCO Youth Peace Ambassador. Through these platforms he organized several projects on eco-education, coastal mangrove peace park, and integrated waste management for the children and youth in Indonesia. He believes that going green is the path to sustainable development and lasting peace.

National Advisor – Laos, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Faculty of Economics and Business Management, National University of Laos

Sunny focused on economics and business management but had taken an interest in the environment. Last 2012, She was given the opportunity to study in Japan and through this experience she was able to gain knowledge about the culture in Japan. She did researches on environmental agriculture such as pigs and chicken. Having been elected as the new National Advisor of Lao-PDR, Sunny aims to focus on environmental economics particularly on environmental damage costs. She plans to master the topic and launch awareness campaigns about it for her country. One of the projects she plans to do is to have dialogues with factory owners to allot budget for water and air rehabilitation for the pollution they caused.

National Advisor – Laos, SEAYEN
Affiliation: National Institute of Fine Arts, Laos

Seata is currently a second year liberal arts student at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Laos. She likes to keep herself busy by getting involved with the community. She enjoys traveling for leisure and spends most of her spare time outside just to learn about life, which is why she puts her very first priority on the environment. As an art student, she likes to share her basic knowledge through arts because she hopes that she can transfer her abilities to benefit society. She was selected to represent Lao PDR and study environmental issues in the United States on the SUSI program for 5 weeks. She also actively participated in several water-related events and programs such as the ASEAN Future Leaders for Water, ASEAN Youth Leaders for Climate Change, Asia Pacific Youth Water Forum, Asia Pacific Water Summit, and the ASEAN Water Dialogue Conference.

Affiliation: Department of Pollution Control, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Noi works for the National Ozone Unit of the Pollution Control Department of Lao PDR’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. She is actively involved in her country’s efforts to fulfill its obligations to the Montreal Protocol. As of 2010, Lao PDR was able to stop the consumption of CFCs. It is currently targeting the phase-out of HFCs both as a climate change mitigation measure, and as an effort to further reduce Ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere.

Affiliation: Department of Pollution Control, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Nith also works for her country’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment under the Department of Pollution Control–National Ozone Unit. Among her tasks is to assist in the development and implementation of different strategies and policies to fulfill Lao PDR’s obligations to the Montreal Protocol.

National Advisor – Malaysia, SEAYEN
Affliation: Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Firdaus is an engineering student at the Universiti Tun Huseein Onn Malaysia. Aside from his keen interest in numbers, he is also passionate about debate. He recently won an environmental debate that was initiated by the government of Malaysia and earned him an invitation to represent his country to 6th SEAYEN regional conference.

Affiliation: Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Hakim is also an engineering student at the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. Together with Firdaus, he won an environmental debate and was subsequently given the honor of representing Malaysia to the 6th SEAYEN regional meeting.

National Advisor – Myanmar, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry; Demonstrator, University of Forestry

As a forestry student, Phyu Phyu has immersed herself in forest protection programs in the past 3 years. Among them is her involvement in tree planting projects and awareness programs on effectively using minor forest produces and on the role of forestry in poverty reduction. She was also among the group who introduced firewood substitutes like the A1 stove to prevent the encroachment of natural forests. This June, she intends to collaborate with her classmates to plant 2000 trees around her university. She is also working on a program that will calculate the carbon footprint of the university students because she believes that greening the world and leading a greener lifestyle are integral to the fight against climate change.

Affiliation: Forest Research Institute, Forest Department, Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry

Aye used to be a range officer for the Bago Yoma Greening project where he immersed himself in activities on forest conservation and protection, livelihood development, environmental education, and watershed management. He is currently working for the Forest Research Institute under his country’s Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry where he conducts participatory research on community forestry development for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable forest rehabilitation. He is also involved in developing a curriculum on community forestry.

Affiliation: World Wildlife Fund; Visibility Myanmar; Water, Research, and Training Centre

Win is an active volunteer of several local and international non-governmental organizations based in Myanmar. He recently travelled with the World Wildlife Fund to villages to assess their knowledge on environmental issues and to learn about local conservation practices. He is also involved in various dialogues between NGOs and the government to facilitate collaboration and cooperation on conservation efforts.

Sub Regional Advisor, SEAYEN
Affiliation: ACSIS-AMSA, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health

Maki is in the process of obtaining a double degree (Doctor of Medicine and Masters in Business Administration) at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health. Aside from busying himself with schoolwork, he is also active on the environmental movement because he believes that the environment and human health are intricately linked. He initiated a health and environment week at his university and organized forums promoting the advantages of planting native trees. As one of the Philippine Bayer Young Environmental Envoys, he launched a campaign to promote a greener Batangas through lectures on conservation and the importance of ecosystems, ecotours, and photo exhibits. Currently, he is working with the ASMPH Environment Management Council to make the school environmentally responsible. His advocacy in environment focuses on Water, Biodiversity, and Environmental Health.

National Advisor – Philippines, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Ateneo Environmental Sciences Society, Ateneo De Manila University

Gerald was the president of an environmental organization at his university. Under his leadership, the organization implemented several projects such as spelunkings, ecotours, coastal clean-ups, and debates to promote environmental awareness, appreciation and action. As a member of the Philippine Environment Network, he closely worked with the government’s ministry of environment on projects that involve the youth by serving as a resource speaker and facilitator. He recently participated in the 2011 Tunza International Youth Conference and the 3rd East Asian Seas Youth Forum: Champions of the Ocean.

Affiliation: Central Student Government, Caraga State University Cabadbaran Campus

Arnel’s passion is on disaster risk reduction (DRR). He is a spokesperson for the youth and children on DRR and climate change, both locally and internationally. In 2011, he was invited to participate in the thematic debate on DRR at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during the United Nations General Assembly. Locally, he was a speaker at the International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Asian Children’s Museum Conference. He was one of the top 10 inspiring people of 2011 in Philippines, and one of the winners of the nationwide search for the Happiest Filipino in 2012.

Affiliation: Youth for Sustainable Development Assembly

Iris has organized and participated in various activities on youth participation and environmental issues, both nationally and internationally. She has represented the country in previous international and regional meetings, such as the 2011 Tunza International Conference on the Environment, and the Asian Youth Conference. Most recently, she developed a volunteer program that synchronizes environmental activities across the Philippines, and organized information and education campaigns on different environmental issues. She also helped prepare her country's National Air Quality Status Report with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. She sits in national consultations on youth and environmental issues, and serves as a board member for two national environmental networks, and one national youth network. She is currently a program manager for a youth NGO focusing on sustainable development.

Affiliation: NGO & Civil Society Center, Asian Development Bank

Ponce is a social entrepreneur with a concern for the environment. In 2010, he co-founded Woven Hope – a venture that turns invasive species of grass into furniture. This innovative venture was declared the national winner in a business development contest. In 2012, he participated in the Rio+20 conference and lobbied for education for sustainable development and youth involvement. He was a youth delegate in the 5th SEAYEN conference, and the 2013 Tunza International conference. He has been recognized as a British Council Global Changemaker, World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and World Innovation Summit for Education Learner. He is currently the Asian Development Bank’s youngest consultant for civil society participation and financing.

National Advisor – Singapore, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Singapore Polytechnic

Jun Wei is in his final year for a diploma in Aeronautical Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic. He discovered his passion for the environment when he became a member of the National Youth Achievement Award Gold Holders’ Alumni (NYAA GAHA). He was involved in youth initiatives like the Keep Singapore Beautiful Movement, and in collaborations promoting environmental conservation. In 2011, he had the privilege of working with other youths in Southeast Asia in the 5th SEAYEN meeting. Aside from being a conservation enthusiast, he enjoys team sports and spontaneous conversations.

National Advisor – Singapore, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Nanyang Technological University, College of Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Senja Cashew YEC.

Yu Hui participated in a study trip to Germany as part of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy in 2012 and an Earthwatch Institute scientific research trip to Nova Scotia, Canada, as a HSBC/NYAA Youth Environmental Award Winner in 2013. She is also a PUB scholar in Environmental and Water Technology. Yu Hui took part in the Sembawang Shipyard Green Wave Environmental Care Project in Singapore, designing a biodegradable constructed floating wetland made entirely from recycled materials to treat polluted water. She attended the 2nd Asia Pacific Water Summit in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and 2nd Asia Pacific Youth Parliament for Water in the Republic of Korea. Yu Hui’s main areas of interest are membrane technology, drinking water treatment/wastewater treatment, marina pollution, climate change and biodiversity conservation.

Affiliation: Institute of Technical Education

Jaron is a Water Ambassador of Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB). As such, he participates in various monthly events organized by the PUB at the Marina Barge. He also conducts outdoor classes on water conservation to students. In 2013, he actively participated in his country’s celebration of World Water Day.

National Advisor – Thailand, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University

Roong is studying English teaching at Chulalongkorn University. Aside from learning English, he is also interested in learning about the environment and other cultures. He attended a national resource course at his university that implemented a project that planted mangroves at Samut Sakhon province and raised awareness of its importance. In 2012, he was given the chance to attend the ASEAN University Students Environmental Forum in Japan where he deepened his knowledge and experience on environmental protection.

Affiliation: Chulalongkorn University

Pon was one of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (BYEE) of Thailand that was given the chance to participate in a field trip to Germany in 2010. He was also given the opportunity to represent Thailand to the 5th SEAYEN Conference, the Asia-Pacific Forum: Youth Action on Climate Change; Exploration through Cultural Expression, 8th Science and Technology Conference for Youths, and the 4th APEC Future Scientist Conference. He is a mentor of the Thai BYEE Eco-Camp in 2012 and participated in the Environmental Festival of Mahidol University in 2013 as the Thai BYEE delegate.

Affiliation: Chemical Engineering, Chulalongkorn University

MaPrang worked for the Thai Royal Army Radio and Television as a youth leader for the environmental volunteer camp where she motivated the youths, especially those who live in urban areas, to hold similar camps to raise awareness on Thailand’s environmental Challenges. With her keen interest in chemical engineering and environment, she devoted 3 years to a project that uses carbon dioxide form exhaust gas for chemical production. Her project bagged the first prize in the Young Scientist Competition in 2011 and was subsequently selected to compete in the environmental management category in the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair at Los Angeles, USA. She was also one of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoys of Thailand that was sent to a field trip to Germany.

Affiliation: Advanced and Sustainable Environmental Engineering (TAIST); BSc Environmental Science, Mahidol University

Piao joined SEAYEN in 2010 and was elected as the National Youth Advisor for Thailand in the 5th SEAYEN meeting. During her tenure, she implemented several environmental projects in her community. One of her successful projects is the use of a bamboo fence to prevent coastal erosion and climate change at Khok Kham and Tha kham, Thailand. In the same project, she also conducted an economic valuation of mangrove services to raise awareness on its importance in combating climate change and coastal erosion. As an environmental scientist, her interests are wide-ranging: nuclear power plants, green economy and eco-design, water and wastewater treatment plants, air pollution and contamination, and oceanic modeling stimulation.

National Advisor – Vietnam, SEAYEN
Affiliation: Center for Sustainable Development Studies

Trang is a member of the Center for Sustainable Development Studies, a non-governmental organization in Vietnam. She is currently involved in a project that promotes ecotourism in remote areas to create sustainable livelihoods, reduce the dependence of communities on forests, and raise awareness on the importance of preserving local cultures and old forests. In 2013, she represented Vietnam in the Tunza International Youth Conference in Kenya.