UN to hold a cycling event on World Environment Day
Dar es Salaam. The United Nations (UN) in Tanzania has organized a cycling event aimed at advocating and creating public awareness on plastic and air pollution, this comes at a time when Tanzania joins other nations to commemorate this year’s World Environmental Day under a theme ‘Air Pollution.’
The event which is scheduled to be held on June 8, 2019, at Mnazi Mmoja grounds, will involve government, multilateral organizations (WHO, UNEP, UNIDO, WHO), bilateral organizations (EU, Germany Embassy), Non-Governmental Organizations, Civil Society Organizations (Forum CC, WWF) and philanthropies (Lions club, cycling association of Tanzania), to mention but a few.
Briefing the journalists about the upcoming event at a press conference held at the UN Tanzania offices, the UN Resident Coordinator Mr Alvaro Rodriguez encouraged participants to turn out in a large numbers to take part in the cycling event.
Mr Rodriguez further elaborated that the commemoration event was supposed to be held in alignment with this year’s WED, which is celebrated on June 5 every year, but they had to shift it to June 8 because of the Eid celebrations’.
“Let’s come together and cycle against plastic and air pollution,” said Mr Rodriguez.
The press was attended by various representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank (WB), UNIDO, UNEP, to mention but a few.
“It is part of physical exercise, having fun and networking. Participants will have opportunity to share experiences and knowledge on environment,” said Neema Clarence, a representative from the WB.
According to the WB data, air pollution costs the global economy more than $5 trillion every year in welfare costs. The effects are worse in the developing countries where in some places welfare losses equal nearly 7.5 per cent of GDP.
