World Environment Day Celebrated

By Binta Jaiteh &Mama Touray

Sustainability Alliance – The Gambia in collaboration with the University of the Gambia Student Union (UTG) and the Gambia Ocean Heroes on Monday held a seminar on plastic pollution during the World Environment Day celebration.

Speaking during the celebration held at the University of the Gambia, Omar Mbaye, executive director of the Sustainability Alliance of the Gambia (SAG)the celebration of the day was established in 1976 purposely for creating awareness and building the capacity of the people to be environmentally conscious on the issues surrounding the people.

Mbaye talked about the global governance of plastic pollution according to global statistics plastic currently helps to improve the economy of a lot of countries across the globe because they help in packaging food and drugs at the hospitals.

Despite its importance, he said plastic that enters the ocean has been recently estimated to be in a range of four point eight to twelve point 7 billion tons or million metric tons every year he added

The trend of plastic is growing every year and the increase in human population makes the demand for plastic to be higher, as the population increases people tend to need more food especially now, he explained.

“The trend of plastic production will be increased then trying to cover more space in the land mass leading to detrimental effects in our marine ecosystems, he disclosed.

He said changing the mindset of the people needs to start from the home level and improve on technological knowledge within the institutions.

Maimuna K Jallow, Minister of Agriculture for UTG said plastic pollution is a global problem that the world is facing, and coming together to celebrate it will sensitize and help in mitigating the matter. 

According to her people are facing a lot of problems concerning plastic pollution and the UTG Student Union is passionate about mitigating plastic pollution. 

“Plastic is a problem but on the other way round it is also used for recycling to form another crucial thing. To avoid having plastic everywhere we need to respect the policies. We need to be ambassadors of ourselves making sure that if we see a wrong we should try to sensitize them in the community,” she sensitised.

Mr. Muhammed Nyass, Project Coordinator of Gambia Ocean also made some remarks at the celebration.

In a similar event but different forum, the Gambia Environmental Alliance (GEA), yesterday, stated in an issued statement commemorating World Environment Day under the theme Solutions To Plastic Pollution.

According to the statement signed by the secretary general of the GEA, Muhammed Hydara said the World Environment Day celebration is a global call to action that compels us to confront one of the most pressing environmental challenges.

He stated in the statement that “Plastic pollution has reached alarming levels, posing significant threats to our ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. The time for action is now. We must commit ourselves to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastics, adopting a circular economy approach that minimizes waste and maximizes resource efficiency.” He said.

Education and awareness, he said, play a vital role in driving change, and communities must be educated on the impacts of plastic pollution and promote sustainable alternatives by empowering individuals with knowledge.

“Collaboration is key; Governments, businesses, civil society organizations, and individuals must come together to develop innovative strategies and policies to combat plastic pollution. This includes promoting sustainable production practices, implementing effective waste management systems, and investing in research and development of eco-friendly materials.” The statement added.