KT for Good: Earth day salute to green warriors

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KT for Good: Earth day salute to green warriors

Luckily, the UAE does have non-profit organisations that work towards keeping the country clean.

By Sarwat Nasir

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Published: Sun 21 Apr 2019, 10:00 PM

Last updated: Mon 22 Apr 2019, 9:16 AM

As part of our #BinIt campaign, under our 'KT for Good' series, we've so far highlighted the hard work cleaners do to pick up litter, the heavy fines litterbugs face, and the work the municipalities are doing to keep our emirates clean.
Today, Earth Day, we are recognising another group of people: The environmental organisations and individual eco-warriors who spend their time - and, often, their money - to carry out clean-up campaigns.
These are the people who understand the negative impact litter can have on our planet: Not only does it make our cities look dirtier, it ultimately harms the environment. Trash pollutes the oceans, it clogs drainage pipes, and most of the waste items do not decompose easily. Some also leak hazardous chemicals onto the soil.
Luckily, the UAE does have non-profit organisations that work towards keeping the country clean.
Emirates Environmental Group
Operating since 1991, this organisation is the largest and easily the most effective environmental group in the country. They started with just a few members and now have thousands of them - from working professionals, families and corporate members, right up to federal and local government agencies, universities and colleges and countless number of students and schools. Habiba Al Mar'ash is the co-founder and chairperson of the group.
One of the most popular campaigns that EEG runs is its 'Clean Up UAE', which has been taking place annually since 2002. It's a nationwide clean-up campaign that brings together thousands of residents from all walks of life for a good cause. In the 2018 edition, the total amount of waste collected from five emirates was 32.5 tonnes - and that's actually heavier than five elephants. Besides Clean-Up UAE, the organisation also runs an annual can collection campaign and a paper walk, among others.
Azraq organisation
This is a non-profit organisation that is registered under the Community Development Authority. It's a relatively new group, but has already sent out a strong message on what it hopes to do: Protect the environment.
Azraq has been organising beach clean-ups in partnership with authorities and schools, in an effort to keep Dubai beaches litter-free.
The group has a huge focus on putting an end to the cigarette butt pollution in the emirate. "Not only is smoking bad for the environment, it killed more than 2,900 people in the UAE in 2016 and cost the country $569 million in lost productivity and healthcare costs, according to the latest report on global smoking. In 2016, it was reported that 748 cigarettes were smoked per person aged over 15 years, per year in the UAE," the organisation said on its website.
Another goal Azraq has is ensuring residents don't fly balloons into the air. The group has reported that balloon pieces are an increasing litter item found on beaches. Not only does it dirty up the beaches, it also kills marine animals.
Green Hope
Founded by a young eco-warrior, Kehkashan Basu, Green Hope is a non-profit environmental organisation that started in Dubai but went global in a few years' time. It has over 1,000 members, mainly students, across the world.
The group is popular for running clean-up campaigns and planting trees several times each year. Not only do they get rid of trash in public spaces across the country, they have also been carrying out similar drives in places such as Bangladesh, Nepal and India. "Green Hope believes in providing a platform of engagement to young people, so that they can be empowered in driving change in society. We, the people of the next generation, need to play a determining role in the sustainable development dialogue. This forms the basis of all our 'on-the-ground' campaigns. Our work is based on a bottom-up approach, whereby our young members work 'hands-on' on different campaigns, gaining the experience of becoming changemakers," the group said on its website.
What is Earth Day?
Celebrated on April 22 of every year, Earth Day is considered the largest civic-focused day of action in the world that involves over one billion people in 192 countries. It started on April 22, 1970, when millions of people took to the streets in the US to raise the alarm over the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development.
Every year since then, people march, sign petitions, meet with their elected officials, plant trees, and clean up their towns and roads on Earth Day. Corporations and governments use the occasion to make pledges and announce sustainability measures. Faith leaders connect the day with protecting God's creations and the planet that we all live on.
This year's Earth Day carries the theme 'Protect Our Species', serving as a reminder that we must all serve as guardians who would save endangered and threatened species - bees, coral reefs, elephants, giraffes, insects, whales - from exploitation.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com
 


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