In collaboration with the Battambang Provincial Administration on May 5, the Ministry of Environment will celebrate National and World Environment Day to raise awareness of environmental issues and preserve nature for sustainable use of natural resource.
This year’s event has the theme Care for the Planet for Our Health. The aim is to raise environmental awareness of students and the public.
The main event will focus on the movement of all ranks of forces to join environmental sanitation at Neak Banh Teuk Park in Battambang on May 5, from 7-9am.
The Post was informed by Neth Pheaktra, a ministry spokesperson, that the event will be held on May 5, rather than the June 5 official date because the latter was set for the elections to the commune councils. He explained that the ministry had decided to hold it ahead of schedule so there wasn’t any conflict with supporters or members of political parties conducting their election campaigns.
He was pleased that Battambang was chosen as the host of the event. Other provinces, such as Ratanakkiri or Kampot, were previously chosen to spread awareness about the importance of protecting the environment to the public.
We anticipate that around 300 people will attend the celebrations in Battambang from the provincial administration and other departments. He said that students will also participate in activities that demonstrate their concern for the environment and how vital biodiversity is to it.
He said that the ministry faced many challenges in environmental protection, including climate change, solid waste management, natural resource protection, and conservation. The government had put in a lot of effort by the ministry, and had developed policies for urban solid waste management and local economic growth through creating new jobs and ideas through ecotourism.
This day is celebrated with the theme Care for the Planet for Our Health. It is intended to remind the public that human health and the environment are closely linked. He stated that pollution of the planet can have an adverse effect on human health.
Yin Mengly (Battambang province coordinator for rights group ADHOC), said the event was both a reminder to government officials and people to care for the environment. But what is really important is the implementation of sustainable policies.
It is not enough to talk about environmental issues once a year. We need to have regular discussions. We shouldn’t just meet once a year to promote this day and think we have done enough in environmental matters. He stated that it is important to implement practical measures for protecting the environment on an ongoing basis.
Mengly stated that garbage is not collected every day in all places, while it is collected once a week in some. This is a problem. This is why waste collection in tourist areas and densely populated areas is so good almost every day. However, it is slow in some outlying areas. He said that landfills are not yet ready in many parts of the country.
