ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 2026

Ruamrudee International School, based in Thailand, has been named the winner of the 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Global High Schools – East Asia & Pacific category. The school was recognised for its ‘Future of Good Life’ project, which tackles the environmental impact of rice farming through innovative water-saving techniques and carbon reduction strategies.

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2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony (Photo: AETOSWire)

The project introduces the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method in rice cultivation and a student-developed low-cost sensor, RiceSense, which tracks water levels and GPS data to help farmers reduce methane emissions and qualify for carbon credits. Students are also leading farmer training and awareness initiatives to promote sustainable practices nationwide.

The project will benefit around 1,200 students and 150 teachers, provide farmer training to scale adoption and enable carbon credit participation, help farmers cut methane emissions by up to 40%, and save approximately 750 cubic metres of water per growing cycle.

Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, commended the school’s success: “The Zayed Sustainability Prize empowers young people to rethink the systems that sustain us. Ruamrudee International School’s students are combining innovation and local knowledge to make agriculture more sustainable and resilient. They are proving that today’s learners can be tomorrow’s leaders in sustainability.”

Dr. James (Jim) O’Malley, Principal of Ruamrudee International School, said: “We are extremely proud of our students for taking our school's name to the global stage through the ‘Future of Good Life’ project. Their ability to combine creativity and empathy into something that transforms the meaning of sustainable farming is astonishing. Being recognised as a finalist for the Zayed Sustainability Prize motivates our entire school community to keep developing changemakers for a sustainable tomorrow.”

The US $150,000 award will enable the school to expand its sensor technology, enhance its environmental education programmes, and strengthen partnerships with local farmers to scale sustainable rice cultivation across Thailand.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize honours organisations and high schools driving impactful and innovative solutions across the categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools. Since its inception, the Prize has positively impacted the lives of over 400 million people worldwide, carrying forward the visionary legacy of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Since 2013, the Prize has awarded 68 high schools under its Global High Schools category from countries in the following regions: The Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East & North Africa, Europe & Central Asia, South Asia, and East Asia & Pacific. To date, the Prize’s Global High Schools winners have impacted the lives of over 56,599 students and 480,660 people in their wider communities.

Source: AETOSWire

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Contact:

Thomas Hagan
thomas.hagan@panterra.global