Brac celebrated World Environment Day with various events aimed at preventing plastic pollution, including beach clean-ups, painting workshops, tree plantation, sapling distribution, youth awareness activities, and discussions.
The events were held at Cox's Bazar sea beach and Savar on Wednesday.
The beach clean-up event started at 3:30pm. Around 300 volunteers participated in the beach cleaning drive, organized by the Urban Development Program (UDP) of Brac.
In the evening, the theatre troupe 'Anuswar' performed to raise public awareness about the harmful effects of plastic pollution.
The clean-up campaign began at Sugandha beach, with participants dividing into two groups and marching towards Kalatali and Labani beach to collect plastic and other waste. The beach clean-up programme is part of the World Bank-funded 'Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE)' project.
The CEO of Cox’s Bazar Municipality, AKM Tariqul Islam, shared positive remarks about how Brac will recycle and repurpose plastic under the PLEASE project.
Md. Imamul Azam Shahi, Programme Head, UDP of Brac said, “the major sectors affected through plastic pollution include tourism and fishing activities, and inadequate waste management systems are exacerbating the issue every day."
The PLEASE project data indicate that about 12.5% of household waste in Cox's Bazar is plastic. Pollution from this waste threatens coastal areas and marine life.
Around 300 students from six schools and one college in Savar participated in various activities, including a day-long painting workshop, jointly organized by the Bangladesh Sustainability Alliance (BSA) and Brac.
Students participated in the painting workshops by submitting plastic waste as a registration fee. They were made aware of the need for waste management through stories and pictures. In the painting workshop, participants drew pictures on environmental topics under the guidance of artist Jafar Iqbal.
In the second phase of the event, a discussion programme was held. The chief guest of this segment, Haji Md. Abdul Gani, Mayor of Savar Municipality, said, "Every tree planted is a step towards a healthier and more sustainable future."
Dr. Md. Liakatht Ali, Director of Brac's Climate Change Programme (CCP), UDP, and Disaster Risk Management Programme (DRMP), stated, "By educating students about environmental issues, we are empowering them to become advocates for the planet and inspiring them to take action in their own lives."
The programme concluded with a tree planting activity, the distribution of saplings among the students, and a community cleanliness programme.