The Clean-Up Arabia 2017 Campaign under the slogan “You Can Make a Difference”’ ended in the capital city Abu Dhabi with a huge participation of volunteers and from different public and private organizations.
Clean-Up Arabia is an annual voluntary campaign that aims to clean up the diving sites and beaches of the UAE and surrounding regions. The campaign also aims at engaging the community members from all walks of life to make a difference, saving the marine environment from pollution, making awareness among people to have a positive attitude in maintaining a clean and sound environment by practice and participation.
The 22nd edition of the campaign was launched on Saturday 4th of November in Dibba, Fujairah and covered all emirates of the UAE. The closing program was organized on the shores of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi by the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) and the Emirates Diving Association (EDA). Tadweer the Abu Dhabi-based waste management center was the strategic partner of the largest awareness event in the UAE.
The campaign organized by EDA in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), Dibba Municipality and the Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority is backed by the Australian ‘Clean Up the World’ campaign, the USA-based ‘International Coastal Clean-up’ and the Project AWARE Foundation.
Around 3000 volunteers representing different public and private organizations participated in the different stages of the campaign to clean the beaches and various diving sites in the UAE and participating countries. The volunteer teams removed the contaminated waste, collected and delivered it to the dedicated sites for recycling and manufacturing purposes.
The closing program began at 9 am in Abu Dhabi and continued until 12 noon. More than 120 divers were deployed in the sea opposite Abu Dhabi Corniche, and hundreds of volunteers collected the waste from the beach achieving a great success and fulfilling the desired goals of campaign.
On this occasion, Salem Al Rumaithi, Director General of ADIMSC, stressed the importance of this campaign and the awareness it has generated about the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of sea, beach, and surrounding environment and said: “The cleanliness of the sea and the beaches contribute to the protection of the marine environment and its diversity in the region. The negative impact of the various types of waste on marine life may extend to humans later. Thus, everyone has the potential to make a real difference in in protecting our surrounding environment,”.
“The most important of the campaign goals is the participation of all segments of society in this campaign, and giving a positive lesson to the society on how to preserve the cleanliness of the environment,” Al-Rumaithi added. She also thanked all participants in the organization, strategic sponsors and partners in this campaign.
Mr. Essa Bin Abdullah Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Emirates Diving Association, said: "We are proud to participate in organizing this largest cleanup campaign in the country, which was the result of cooperation and joint work between all stakeholders under the umbrella of the Ministry of Change Climate and environment"
Saeed Al Muhairbi, Director General of Tadweer said: "This campaign is part of a recycling strategy and one of its priorities is to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the environment and promoting good environmental practices and behaviors. We are happy to work with the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club and the Emirates Diving Association, which reflect the importance of coordination and cooperation among concerned authorities to promote a culture of conservation and sustainability."
Concluding the Clean-Up Arabia 2017 Campaign, Taif Mohammed Al Amiri, Director of the Government Communications Department at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, praised this unique model of partnership between the public and private sectors in the organizing the event and the big participation in the campaign which succeeded in achieving its objectives and raising awareness among different sectors of society on the importance of preserving the environment.
"Abuse and misconduct of some professionals and sea goers, contribute to various types of waste, such as the dumping of damaged fishing gear, leaving unwanted fish on the beach, throwing plastic bags, etc. Local authorities are working relentlessly to keep the beaches clean and to provide waste containers to dispose of waste properly. The Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment is keen on cooperating with its strategic partners in increasing efforts to protect and sustain the marine environment in the UAE. The Ministry also intensifies environmental awareness programs through various social media, as well as supporting and participating in environmental campaigns to safeguard the marine environment”, Al Amiri said.
EDA is responsible for record the quantities of different types of collected waste to monitor the amount of pollution resulting from such wastes. The recycled waste will be sent to the specialized sites to be reused.