Juba – The Republic of South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, celebrated World Environment Day in style this year. With activities ranging from tree planting to singing and traditional dancing, the celebrations were an important step towards raising awareness of environmental issues in this natural resource rich country.
Over 500 people attended the day’s events, hosted by South Sudan’s Ministry of Environment in collaboration with UN Environment’s South Sudan Office, including a number of top government officials, and local and international institutions. Children from five different schools participated in the celebrations, reciting environmental poems, among other activities.
In a tree planting drive, more than 2000 seedlings were planted in 15 different institutions. An exhibition showing a wide range of environmental goods was a key highlight, officially opened by Miss Grand International, in the presence of local and foreign dignitaries and celebrities, including Miss South Sudan. It demonstrated energy efficient stoves, solar panels, ways of reducing plastic bag use and different tree species that could be planted, among other things. Performances highlighted different environmental issues facing South Sudan, radio talks brought up issues of waste management and energy, and T-shirts with different environmental messages were distributed. In particular, the event aimed to raise awareness of issues of related to resource efficiency and sustainable production and consumption in South Sudan, this year’s local theme.
Over 2000 seedlings were planted as part of the World Environment Day celebrations.
UN Environment’s Arshad Khan, in his speech at the opening ceremony, highlighted the importance of individual responsibility in environmental protection, in line with this year’s global theme “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care.” He underlined our dependence on environmental services, noting that the current trends in consumption are quite simply unsustainable. His speech acts as a reminder to the people of South Sudan that despite the fact that the country is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, it is facing enormous environmental challenges. Problems as diverse as climate change risks, deforestation, water, air and soil pollution and waste management are increasingly being noted. These issues result in threats to food security, livelihoods and can fuel tension between communities.
Both the Minister of Environment, Hon. Deng Deng, and the Minister of Agriculture & Forestry, Hon. Beda Machar Deng, noted UN Environment’s work in South Sudan, highlighting UN Environment’s importance as a partner in addressing national environmental issues moving forward. UN Environment very much looks forward to building on this partnership in the future.
The event was acclaimed a great success by all involved. Key messages from the celebrations included: “plant a tree for peace”, “a healthy environment makes a healthy living” and “South Sudan Go Green”, important words to remember in the years to come.
For more information, please contact:
Arshad Khan, Officer-in-charge, UN Environment South Sudan, arshad.khan[at]unep.org
Sophie Brown, Communications Advisor, UN Environment Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch, sophie.brown[at]unep.org
