Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time, with statistics showing that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050. To change the future, we all need to play our part. Whether it is a bottled soft drink, a bag and fishing gear trash (ghost nets), single-use plastic has become embedded in our daily lives. The low cost, convenience and lightness of these products have revolutionized the packaging of goods. However, the catastrophic environmental cost of this convenience is now becoming increasingly clear.
Celebrating World Environment Day is a way to inspire local fishers communities, governments and students (and parents) on how young people can take action to protect the environment. World Environment Day is an opportunity for local fishers communities, government and schools to teach students about single-use plastics and how they can reduce, reuse and recycle.
For World Environment Day, we are inviting all our project partners, governments, communities and students to mobilize their networks to participate in a clean-up and find out where the waste is coming from. This could be along on a beach of Ponnyet Village, Kyeintali that is littered with plastic and fishing gear trash (ghost net). While beach clean-ups may only address the plastic issue at the end of its life cycle, they are a great way for communities and students to see the extent of plastic waste first-hand and rethink their behaviour.
U Tun Aye Khaing, Staff officer, GAD, made an opening speech where he really expressed his gratefulness to Dr. Maung Maung Kyi (RCA), the responsible persons from WCS and RCA and the other participating in this. The GAD staff officer continued by emphasizing that WCS, RCA and KIFCA could support the World Environmental Day by cooperating with communities for Beat Plastic Pollution: Beach Plastic Clean-up Activities at Ponnyet Village. The main objective of the World Environmental Day is to reduce single-use plastic and inspirits to protect the environment. Finally, U Tun Aye Khaing concluded that he believes that the World Environmental Day at Ponnyet villages in Kyeintali will be successful and inspire local fishers communities, governments and students (and parents) on how young people can take action to protect the environment with the support of Rakhine State Government.
And Dr. Maung Maung Kyi, Chairman, RCA was also explained about World Environment Day history when that day become and what we made activities that day by Global and RCA. He also explained about this year slogan: BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION- the main objectives is to inspire local fishers communities, governments and students (and parents) on how young people can take action to protect the environment and to aware about single-use plastics and how they can reduce, reuse and recycle. He said that we all participate to support and protect our environment and natures.
After that The World Environmental Day Ceremony was closed on 9:30 am local time and then was made the plastic latters and ghost nets around the beach of Ponnyet Villages until 11:30 am with Governments, INGOs, LNGOs, CSOs and Schools which is total 110 persons.