By Sunday Amandi

Arua city

Environmental conservation experts’ have appealed to the members of the community to have mind-set change, revise their actions, and stop unrestrained plastic waste disposal, in order to conserve the environment. This was during the go green dialogue organised by Radio Pacis with the experts to mobilise the community members to address the challenges faced by the environment. 

Plastic pollution is posing a great threat to the continuously degraded environment, and according to the experts, if nothing is done to stop environmental degradation, the world will face terrible consequences.

According to Andama Swaib Solo, the Environment Officer for Yumbe district, irresponsible disposal of plastic waste destroys the environment, and calls for mind-set change among the members of the community. “In urban areas, only 40 % of plastic waste is collected, 60 % is left unattended to, we need to sensitize the community to change their mind set on the use of plastics, “Andama said.

Similarly, Taban Asega Kamala, the representative of UNHCR calls for collective efforts by the community to preserver the valuable environment. “This is a big concern, it’s a disaster, so let’s all take action to protect the environment, “said Kamala.

Bernard Atiku, the chairman of the land board in Arua city, who is also the former Member of Parliament for Ayivu county calls for serious enforcement by the responsible government entities in order to ensure that, the environment is restored. “We have the National Environment Management Authority, we have the ministry of water and environment, these entities must enforce the provisions within that law, the local governments should be able to draw ordinances for the districts, and by-laws for the parishes to command everybody on how to manage plastic wastes,” Atiku said.

Radio Pacis started the go green campaign in 2018, with the aim of mobilising the community members to restore the environment, Climate change leads to frequent periods of drought, un-predictable rain seasons, loss of soil fertility, drying up of rivers and swamps, and these apparently bring negative implications on agriculture, food security, and loss of water sources.

COVER PHOTO: Th UNHCR representative with Hon Benard Atiku during the Dialoque By Sunday Amandi