BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): A change towards more responsible and sustainable management use of plastics, as well as environmentally friendly habits and awareness of the importance of maintaining environmental sustainability, is an important step in addressing the issue of plastic pollution, said Director of Environment, Parks and Recreation Martinah Tamit.
She said this during the launch of the BELIA BRUNAS Programme and a Youth Environmental Leader Recognition Ceremony to commemorate World Environment Day celebration yesterday.
She added, “On June 5 every year, the global community including Brunei Darussalam celebrates World Environment Day which aims to raise public awareness about the importance of protecting the environment and encourage action from all levels of society to protect the environment and maintain its sustainability. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebration is ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.”
For decades, she stressed, “plastics have contributed positively to almost every aspect of modern life such as in medicine and health, transportation, food, information technology and even leisure activities. However, the very durable nature of plastics that makes them so useful also makes them almost impossible to decompose naturally, causing pollution. In addition, the way plastics are produced, used and disposed by some who are not sensitive or lack knowledge of the importance of protecting the environment also has a negative impact.”
She also introduced the BELIA BRUNAS Programme, a dedicated platform designed to empower youth in Brunei Darussalam to participate in impactful and long-term activities that contribute meaningfully to the country’s environmental sustainability. Launched by the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe) under the Ministry of Development, the programme is divided into two phases: Phase 1, named the YouLEARn Programme, short for ‘Youth Learn, Empower and Advocate for a Resilient Environment’, and Phase 2, the YouGAIN Programme, an acronym for ‘Youth Green Actions for Innovation’.
Meanwhile, among the first recipients of the Youth Environmental Leader Recognition Awards were co-founder of Green Brunei Khairunnisa Ash’ari; founder of BruWILD Liaw Lin Ji; founder of Zero Waste Brunei Noor Hafizah Rashid; and founder of Sustainable Ocean Alliance Brunei Shaima Misli. Minister of Development Dato Seri Setia Awang Muhammad Juanda Abdul Rashid, the guest of honour, launched the programme and presented the Youth Environmental Leader Recognition Awards.
The ceremony also saw a special video message from Director of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the United Nations Environment Programme Dr Dechen Tsering, focusing on rethinking plastic usage through youth engagement and promoting a circular economy approach.
The ceremony concluded with a visit to the Youth Environmental Exhibition.
In conjunction with this year’s World Environment Day, JASTRe has also organised a number of initiatives including the ‘Let’s Donate Blood’ campaign scheduled for June 10 at OneCity Shopping Centre, in collaboration with the Blood Donation Centre of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital and the Nationwide Recycling Day (Upcycling Edition) on June 22. – Borneo Bulletin/ANN
