(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - Experts on Thursday welcomed the Ministry of Environment's National Clean-up Campaign, and called for further activation and enforcement of the law to protect the environment.Earlier this week, the ministry launched the National Clean-up Campaign in all governorates of the Kingdom.
The launch of the campaign came under the guidance of Minister of Environment Muawieh Radaideh, and in cooperation with the Royal Department for Environmental Protection and the Municipality of Naour, with the participation of a number of ministries and government departments, school and university students, staff from Public Security Directorate, civil society organisations, volunteers from the local community and the Jordanian-Swedish Company for Medical Products and Sterilisation (JOSWE).
Commenting on this campaign, President of the Jordan Environment Union (JEU) Omar Shoshan told The Jordan Times:“A broad and organised campaign must be carried out, and the campaign should be based on a participatory approach between the government, civil society institutions, the private sector, academics, activists and the media in order to establish a well-established social culture and sustainable behaviour in any place and at any time.”
One of the tracks of this campaign is to apply the law with the utmost firmness and justice, and to impose penalties and financial fines for the improper disposal of waste, Shoshan said.
He added that educational curricula should be established from the early school years, instilling the values of taking care of public spaces and clarifying the consequences of violations.
He also called for strengthening the infrastructure in providing mechanisms for sorting and treating waste from the source and providing green economic opportunities from solid waste management.
The main goal of these campaigns is to raise awareness among people about the need to properly dispose of their waste after a hike,
and preserving the environment, especially with the advent of summer and the large number of hikers at this time in forests and hiking places, founder and CEO of Awraq for Environmental Development Zeina Hamdan said.
Cleaning campaigns alone are not enough. They must be carried out throughout the year, included in school activities, and supported by the application of the punishment system and enforcement of the law, Hamdan added.
Radaideh launched the campaign from Sil Husban Forest Park to stress that throwing waste indiscriminately poses the greatest danger to the environment, in addition to its negative effects on the tourist and archaeological sites that make it an important source in supporting the national economy and its comprehensive development.
He added that being responsible in dealing with environmental issues is“everyone's responsibility”, and caring for the environment is a national duty.
He indicated that the campaign comes within the main axes of the national plan for environmental awareness, which was launched by the ministry in partnership with all state institutions and civil society organisations.
The campaign covers many areas of the country, including the Sil Hasban forests in the capital, the Gilad area in Balqa and the Jubilee Forest in Karak, among other locations.