Clean up the World Day

Vinh Chau (17th September 2011) – The GIZ Project ‘Management of Natural Resources in the Coastal Zone of Soc Trang Province’ supported an event in Vinh Chau town to celebrate the Clean up the World Day and the International Year of the Forests 2011.

500 people including leaders of the Provincial People’s Committee, representatives from relevant local authorities, students, youth union,farmer’s association, women’s union and local people attended the event.

The theme of this year’s Clean up the World Day, "Our Place… Our Planet… Our Responsibility”,emphasizes the important role that every single person can play, and isplaying, in conserving our environment. It is our responsibility to take care of our world and to make sure that we keep it safe and clean for us and our children and the future generations.

The Clean up the World Day 2011 is a special event within the United Nation’s year of the Forests. Forests play an important role in the health and wellbeing of our planet and therefore in our personal wellbeing and the wellbeing of our children.This also emphasizes the importance of protecting the health of our forests and understanding our dependence upon it.

Mangrove forests here in Soc Trang Province, including Vinh Chau,provide important ecosystem services and goods like protection from strong winds and waves, firewood, medicines, fibres, dyes, food, charcoal, construction materials,soil stabilisation and erosion protection, flood mitigation, etc.

A well-managed mangrove belt protects the coast from erosion, and the impact of strong winds and waves. It saves significant costs for dyke maintenance and mitigates the conflict between economic development and sustainable management of natural resources.But to protect the forests includes stopping the pollution of the environment.

A clean-up like it was carried out in Vinh Chau helps to reduce the pollution, but it is not enough to do a clean-up just on one day per year – we need to stop polluting the environment. And according to this year’s theme Our Place… Our Planet… Our Responsibility!it is within our own responsibility to care for a less polluted environment. We must therefore change our everyday behavior from polluters to protectors, to people who protect the environment, conserve the forests and reduce their waste.

A good relationship between nature and people is essential, for the wellbeing of us human beings. Nature can do without us, but we cannot do without nature and its services.