A meeting took place in Long Xuyen city, the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, in response to World Environment Day (June 5^th) and a national week on clean water and rural sanitation.

Beginning in 1974, the U.N.’s World Environment Day is now celebrated in over 100 countries. The theme for 2018 is beating plastic pollution.

At the meeting, Vice President of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Nguyen Thi Tuyet pointed to the fact that Vietnam disposes 12 million tonnes of waste on an annual average, which will be 20 million tonnes in 2020.

Of the total waste, 2,500 tonnes are plastics, which seriously harm the land, water and air, she added.

Tuyet and Vice Chairman of the An Giang People’s Committee Lam Quang Thi called for sectors, party members, public servants, VWU members and youths to take greater part in environmental protection and awareness-raising campaigns related to the issue.

Thi said the national week and World Environment Day will help boost the local completion of environmental criteria in building new-style rural areas.

He acknowledged good outcomes of a host of environmental campaigns by the provincial chapter of the VWU, like those calling for people to say no to single-use plastics and to build green and clean streets.

After the meeting, more than 1000 youths and VWU members walked together along main streets in Long Xuyen to spread their environmental protection message.

Similar meetings were also launched in other provinces and cities nationwide in response to World Environment Day (June 5^th)./.

VNF/VNA