GUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY - DR. REDDY

01/06/2020

Protecting, leaving a safer and healthier environment for a future generation can be attained through a collaborative partnership and individual responsibility and involvement to deliver the common environmental vision.

This was highlighted by the Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy while launching a one-week-long program that aims to gather environmentalists including the private sectors to jointly address issues of Environmental Challenges that the world is facing.

Minister Reddy reiterated while legislation's and guidelines are been discussed and implemented by the environment experts, a sole responsibility to deal with environmental problems and protecting our environment should also be adhered to for the accomplishment of the legislation.

“While we have legislation's to push us to conduct ourselves in a defined manner, the urge to protect our environment may come from within and not because you are required to conduct in a certain manner by an external party,” said Hon. Reddy.

“We must self-regulate ourselves and we are happy to, over the next 6 months, publish several self-regulating guidelines on every aspect of one's interaction with the environment. Be it, littering, our waste or foreshore development.”

Minister Reddy said while a national movement and individual responsibility is vital to address environmental threats, global involvement and collaboration is also vital especially for developing countries.

Meanwhile, Minister Reddy launched a quiz competition for the school students that commemorates a week-long Environment Week celebration with two winners to be selected from three age group categories from 5-8 years, 9-13 years, and 14-17 years.

The week-long program purpose is to provide a platform for environmental advocacy to help accelerate, amplify, and engage scientists, communities, governments and the private sector to take actions on the dangerous and unprecedented environmental challenges that the world is facing.