|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Akanji Alowoludo, Bauchi
As part of the 2023 World Environment Day commemoration, Bauchi State office of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscape (ACReSAL), Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) in collaboration with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), organised a one day panel discussion on Solutions to Plastic Pollution.
In her welcome address, the Country Project Manager, MEDA, Fosen Grace said that the event was took place in many parts of the World to create awareness of how the general public will take a decisive action on plastic Pollution.
She called on the participants to use the knowledge acquired with a view to bringing an end to the challenges posed by Plastic waste in the environment.
During the panel discussion, professionals from the Academia, Health, Agriculture, Environmental Sectors and Development Partners made valid contributions on the effect of consumption of plastic waste by Humans, Animal and the Environment and called for a collective efforts towards a greater and sustainable environment.
The resource persons also highlighted some of the effects of plastic pollution especially by blocking the municipal drainages system which lead to water flooding its attendant consequences outbreak of diseases like cholera, Typhoid, Malaria, that indirectly affect the economy of the people supposed to be channeled into other venture.
On using waste as manure in the farms due to the high cost of fertilizer, the resource persons also said this has a serious negative effect on the farm land, produce and the people.
The panelists also called for collective efforts from all meaningful Nigerians in ensuring a free plastic waste in addition to BASEPA’s efforts in keeping the state clean and healthy, through very many initiatives such as cancellations of unsuitable collection centers among other initiatives.
In his speech, the State Project Coordinator, ACReSAL, Dr Ibrahim Kabir appreciated and commended MEDA and other development partners for keying into the environment, which he said the results of this partnership will in the nearest future become visible and urged them to maintain the tempo.
The SPC who was ably represented by the ACReSAL Project Climate Change and Social Livelihood Officer, Mahmud Bose informed the gathering that the event was made possible by the support of MEDA, Members of the Academia, NESREA, FOMWAN, PARE, ASSAPIN, EHORECON, CIG, FAWOYDI,RISD, NAGGW, other partners and stakeholders in the environmental sector, calling on them to emulate MEDA to achieve the target objective of sustainable environment.
He also acknowledged and appreciated the contributions of all the development partners, especially the uniform Voluntary organisations, Environment Based Groups CBOs, FBOs the traditional institutions as well as members of the press among others.
In her closing remarks, the representative of the Director General of BASEPA, the Director Admin and Human Resources of the Agency, Hajiya Ruqayya Mohammed appreciated MEDA and other partners calling on the participants to take the messages to the larger society for the overall objectives of the events.
World environment Day was set aside by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the aim of raising awareness about degrading environmental conditions and to encourage people globally to take positive environmental actions, to help create a better future.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Solutions to Plastic Pollution” targeted to create awareness on climate change mitigation.
