The Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone (EPA-SL) Northern region office has joined other regional offices and the world to commemorate World Environment Day.
It’s an annual event with a distinct theme aiming at raising awareness on environmental protection.
This year’s theme “Beat Plastic Pollution” focuses on solutions to plastic Pollution and it serves as a reminder that people’s actions on plastic pollution matters and to make sure that government and other partners are ready to tackle the excessive use of plastics which are being caused by our actions.
The Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone (EPA-SL) is charged with the responsibility to provide for the effective protection of the environment and for other related matters like theme for this year’s WED celebration that focuses on plastic pollution through the northern region office brought together relevant key stakeholders together from government, school pupils from different schools, university students, civil societies, community based organizations and media to grace the celebration.
In a way to ensure effective protection of the environment of Sierra Leone, the Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone (EPA-SL) Regional Manager North Joseph Gbassa in his key statement thanked members of the School Nature Clubs, teacher coordinators, the media, civil society and Local Councils for attending the Day.
He continued with his statement by giving a background on the World Environment Day that came into being in 1972 by the United Nations at a conference held in Stockholm Sweden that focused on raising public awareness on the need to protect the environment.
Mr Gbassa said as an Agency responsible for the protection of the environment world environment day is very crucial in fulfilling the mandate of EPA.
He emphasized on the role of community to reduce plastic wastes due to the nature of how the longevity of plastic before it get decomposed and therefore encouraged all to support the Agency and serve as role model participating in beating up plastic pollution in Makeni municipality.
The Makeni regional office commenced the Day celebration with a radio discussion program on Sunday at Amzas radio 96.9 FM Makeni to lay the platform and explain plan of activities for the attention of the public
Climaxing the event, the various key stakeholders commended the Agency for embarking such activity and admonished participants present for the event especially school going pupils to serve as role models in their various communities and to also change their attitudes by the manner in which individuals irresponsibly handle the use of plastics on the environment without any regards.
It is worth noting that participants demonstrated the activity by picking up plastics along some streets in Making as a way of gracing the WED celebration in this part of the country.
This was a showcase to the world the country is indeed ready to beat plastic pollution.
As a country we can reduce plastic pollution by making use of the 3Rs which are to Reduce, to Reuse, and to Recycle.
This year’s celebration is a weeklong event which will end on 8th June Friday and this will help keep the Makeni municipality clean and leave remarkable memories not only to participants but to the people of Makeni.
The one-week environmental education and awareness raising on plastic pollution continued on local media outlets in Makeni.
