Clean Up The World campaign to be held during 20-23 November

Dubai Municipality is currently finalising several activities to be organised during the four-day campaign, which is observed under the theme: "One World, One Eco-System, One Humanity".

This was stated by Hassan Makki, Assistant Director of Environment Department and Head of the campaign organising committee, who noted that "Clean Up the World," which is originally being held in mid-September worldwide with more than 30 million volunteers participating in clean-up initiatives in 109 countries, was delayed in Dubai to suit the weather conditions.

He added that the campaign, which is organised every year by the Environment Department of the Municipality, is the largest volunteer clean up drive in the country.

He noted that it is the 14th consecutive year that Dubai is organising the campaign. The campaign has such noble objectives as forging a sense of mutual cooperation among organisations and institutions concerned with environment in planning and executing environment action programmes, enhancing environment awareness of the community on waste reduction and recycling issues, ensuring participation of institutions and individuals in environment programmes, cleaning up the local environment, and encouraging team-work in finding lasting solutions for the growing waste problem.

"The campaign also seeks to encourage media to focus on environment protection activities thereby enhancing awareness of governments and industries with regard to local environment issues such as waste reduction, recycling and safe disposal of waste," he said.

Preparations for the clean up are already under way with the Municipality trying to facilitate an even greater level of participation than last year. In 2006, over 15,536 persons participated in removing 3500 tonnes of litter and debris from various areas. The participation registered a 10 per cent increase in the number of participants as compared to the previous year.

"The campaign offers a very good opportunity to all residents of Dubai in actively contributing towards conservation of their environment. For industries and private companies, they can play a responsible role by providing a clean and safe environment to the society," he said.

Several trucks of the Municipality have been painted with the campaign's logo in a bid to publicise the campaign. These trucks will ply the city's roads over the next three months, conveying the green message.

The Clean Up the World campaign originated in Australia and was the brainchild of Ian Kiernan who organized a clean up of Sydney harbour in 1989. He was moved by the significant amount of marine litter that he noticed while sailing in the BOC Challenge solo around-the-world race in 1987. Encouraged by the harbour clean up in which 40,000 people participated, he organized Clean Up Australia Day the following year.

In 1993, with support and funding from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the California based EGBAR foundation, Clean Up the World was launched with 30 million people from 80 countries participating in the first clean-up. Since then it has been held every year and has not stopped growing. In 2001, 37.5 million people from 128 countries demonstrated their commitment to a healthy environment through various clean ups throughout the world.