PMA RASHEED

BY PMA RASHEED,

The Gulf Today, 19 Nov 2008

The present ways of consuming resources like power and water, and reducing carbon emissions should be amended in the UAE, said Dr Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahd, the Minister of Environment and Water of the UAE.

He highlighted the change could be put in to practical through a broad set of measures that have to be taken individually and collectively. “We should focus more on environmental issues through such campaigns, rather than sticking on usual “general cleanliness” messages,” he said.

Dr Rashid was speaking to the media after launching the Clean-up the World 2008 campaign, a Dubai Municipality initiative at Heritage Village in Shindagha. “Such issues should include reduction of waste and its safe disposal and amending the way we consume our most important resources, thereby guaranteeing the sustainability of our environment,” he added.

The country’s largest voluntary clean-up drive titled “Start Today, Save Tomorrow” will have nearly 20,000 volunteers joining hands to drive home the green message. Dubai Municipality has been organising the clean-up drive for 15 consecutive years, said Hussain Lootah, DM’s acting director general.

“We aim at forging a sense of mutual co-operation among organisations and institutions in planning and executing environment action programmes. The campaign also plans to enhance community awareness sessions on waste reduction and recycling issues, cleaning-up the local environment and encouraging team-work in finding lasting solutions for the growing waste problem,” he added.

The campaign is held from Nov.18 to 21 at various sites across the emirate.