With the aim of cleaning up Egypt’s northern coast and protecting the marine environment of North Africa, the Youth Loves Egypt Foundation (YLE) has launched the second phase of the initiative “Reduce plastics use”, which will stretch along two years year from 13 April 2019 to 12 April 2021. It blends with Egypt’s sustainable development plan and environmental vision for 2030, and aims at reducing the dangers of plastic waste on biological diversity and general health.
The second edition of the ambitious initiative to reduce plastics involves clean-up of the banks of the River Nile from Aswan in the South to the Mediterranean in the North; the Red Sea, Suez and Aqaba Gulfs; South Sinai; and the Mediterranean coast from Alexandria to Morocco.
It also includes implementing a number of awareness campaigns, workshops, and seminars in schools, universities and local communities. This would be achieved in collaboration with some 21 North African civil foundations.
YLE was founded in 2012 as a civil organisation is active in the field of protecting the environment. It is accredited by the UNEP and UNEP Map, and has been active in the clean-up of beaches on Red Sea islands.
Along the same line of protecting wildlife, marine life and endangered species, the Red Sea Governor, Ahmed Abdallah had last month issued a decision to ban single-use plastics as of 1 June 2019.
The NGO Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) had earlier relayed a recommendation to the Governor to ban the use of disposable plastics, expounding in its report on the environmental hazards of disposable plastics.
Simultaneously, HEPCA will be launching an awareness campaign to raise awareness of the hazards and negative impacts of plastic on wildlife, marine life and human health. It will also spearhead cleaning campaigns on beaches and under water in cooperation with public and private schools, diving centres and the Red Sea community. The campaign will also target hotels and resorts in the governorate to encourage reduction of use of plastics.
Watani International
3 May 2019
