Juba, 15 June 2015 - On 15 June 2015, UNEP was part of the launch ceremony of the “Keep Juba Clean” campaign. The campaign, which is a month long event, is part of the preparations for celebration of 4th Anniversary of the independence of the Republic of South Sudan on 9th July 2015. First organized by UNEP in 2009, Keep Juba Clean campaigns help to raise awareness of sound waste management practices. These campaigns are well aligned with UNEP’s waste management programme for South Sudan.
The campaign was officially launched by the Hon. Deng Deng Hoc Yai, National Minister of Environment who is also the chairman of the committee of the Keep Juba Clean campaign.
At the inaugural ceremony for this year’s campaign, UNEP emphasized the importance of having a proper waste management system for a city like Juba and its link with public health and the environment. UNEP expressed its commitment to providing technical support and guidance to address the issue of waste management in Juba to avoid environmental degradation and spread of diseases like malaria, cholera and other related diseases.
Over 500 people participated in the launch ceremony, including key government officials. Speeches were delivered by, among others, the National Minster for Environment, the Minister of Health and Environment, Central Equatoria state, and the Director General of South Sudan Chamber of Commerce.
Among other messages, the importance of waste segregation (biodegradable and non-biodegradable) and managing waste by promoting the use of the 3Rs were highlighted. The vision of waste as a resource was also mentioned. Overall, the need to promote sustainable production and consumption (the theme of this year’s World Environment Day, also celebrated in South Sudan) was an important message. The need to “Go Green for Sustainable Development” was a recurring theme, and the people of South Sudan are being encouraged to plant trees in and around their houses and business premises, both for climate change mitigation and the improve the local environment.
Find out more about the Keep Juba Clean campaign and UNEP’s work on Waste Management.
“Keep Juba Clean” has proven to be a great success in South Sudan and UNEP hopes that this tradition will continue long into the future.
For more information, please contact:
Arshad Khan, Country programme manager, UNEP South Sudan, at arshad.khan@unep.org