celebrating international environment day

The Environment and Natural Resources Management Network (ENRMN) through a creative initiative, in close collaboration with the Kabul Municipality’s Cleaning Directorate, National Environmental Protection Agency’s Kabul Province Directorate, and the Athletic Federation of the Olympic Committee, held a panel discussion to celebrate the international environment day. The panel discussion was preceded by two kilometers long running competition starting from the base of and leading to the top of the historic Wazir Akbar Khan hill. The running team consisted of the male and female members of the Afghanistan Olympic Committee. At the culmination of the competition, awards and certificates were distributed to the first, second and third runners-up. The secondary objective for organizing the running competition was not only to encourage youth and citizens to adopt physical activities, but to encourage biking and paddling to reduce fossil fuel emissions that considerably contribute to air pollution. During the event, representatives of the Kabul Municipality, National Environment Protection Agency Kabul province Directorate, Athletic Federation of the Afghanistan Olympic Committee, pinpointed the responsibilities and obligations of the citizens in regard to the protection of environment, management of the solid waste and cleaning activities, preventing wasting water and deforestation, measures on wildlife and ecosystem conservation, and joint work to promote a culture of environmental conservation by government officials by the private sector and the general public.

At the end of the ceremony, a voluntary cleaning action was organized by members of the ENRMN, the Liaison Office (TLO) and staff of the Kabul Municipality Cleaning Department and other volunteers to clean the Wazir Akbar Khan hill area from plastic and other types of solid waste.