Clean Up the World campaign launched
DA NANG (VNS)— The central city of Da Nang gave its Clean Up the World campaign a bumper start on Saturday, with over 5,000 volunteers turning out for the official launch.
The campaign, which started in Australia in 1993 under the theme "Our Place … Our Planet… Our responsibility" saw local people collecting rubbish on beaches and planting trees to brighten up districts.
A series of photo exhibitions and seminars on renewable energy were held to support the campaign, which drew millions of participants from 130 countries in the world.
Each year, environmental pollution costs Viet Nam between 1.5 and 3 per cent of GDP.
According to the World Bank, Viet Nam had to pay US$780 million in community health care treatment for pollution-related diseases," said Natural Resources and Environment deputy minister Bui Cach Tuyen.
"I call on everyone to support the campaign by cleaning the living environment, saying no to plastic bags and boosting renewable energy technology," he said at the campaign launch.
Joining the campaign in Da Nang, Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam Hugh Borrowman said: "This event reflects what the campaign is all about: mobilising and uniting communities to protect public spaces that are important to them."
"The Australian Government has consistently supported Viet Nam's participation in the campaign every year since 1994. Today's event was a good opportunity to educate students and youngsters about our responsibility to the environment." — VNS