Let’s celebrate Africa Environment Day

THE 2017 Africa Environment Day will be commemorated on the 3rd of March 2017, at Kuwadzana 3 Shopping Centre in Harare, under the theme; “Empowering Communities for Sustainable Waste Management”. Background Africa Environment Day, celebrated annually on 3 March, was established by the then Organisation of African Unity in 2002 as a way of raising awareness of the pressing environmental challenges facing the continent. Since 2012, the Africa Environment Day has been celebrated in conjunction with Wangari Maathai Day, in order to pay tribute to the late Nobel Laureate’s green legacy.

During the 2012 Session of the General Assembly of the African Union, the Assembly decided to recognise Prof Wangari Maathai’s numerous achievements in her capacity as the first Presiding Officer of the African Union’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AUECOSOCC), African Union Peace Ambassador, Founder of the Green Belt Movement, Goodwill Ambassador to the Congo Basin Forest Initiative, UN Peace Messenger for Environment and Climate, and UNEP Champion of the Earth. In so doing they designated 3 March as Wangari Maathai Day to be observed in conjunction with Africa Environment Day, each year beginning in 2012. Invitation Stakeholders are cordially invited for the commemoration. All the 10 provinces will commemorate Africa Environment Day under the given theme. The commemoration events will target communities as the main audience, encouraging them to pursue sustainable waste management practices and livelihoods.

The commemorations will take various forms such as; symposiums, clean up campaigns, tours of areas with best waste management practices, exhibitions of waste management entrepreneurs and sharing of experiences, challenges and strategies in their quest to tackle waste management challenges.

Schools will have the opportunity to showcase their waste management projects as well.

EMA urges all Zimbabweans to be responsible citizens who do not instead make use receptacles provided.

Furthermore, public transport operators are required to place waste receptacles in their vehicles so as to minimise littering on the roads.

Moreover, travellers are encouraged to place litter in the bins provided in the buses or commuter omnibuses they will be travelling in. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep our country clean and together we can achieve a clean, safe and healthy environment.

Please talk to us; we are always ready to listen. Email: eep@ema.co.zw; Tel 04-305550, 305309; Toll-free 08080028; Whatsapp 0779565707; Website www.ema.co.zw. litter but of waste