HÀ NỘI — A summer youth volunteer campaign and a beach-cleaning activity were launched on Sunday in the central Thanh Hóa Province, to observe World Environment Day 2017 (June 5).

The volunteer campaign aims to encourage the spirit and enthusiasm of the local youth in following the State’s plans to develop the province, while the beach-cleaning campaign aims to raise awareness among youngsters about the importance of the sea and push them towards protecting the environment.

Through a series of events, the provincial Youth Union has persuaded 100,000-odd youngsters to promote the regulations and policies on environmental protection, union secretary Lê Văn Trung said at the launch of the two campaigns on Tĩnh Gia District’s Hải Hòa beach.

The local youth has contributed tens of thousands of hours to collecting trash, cleaning the drainage and sewage systems, and filtering water, he said.

At the ceremony, 30 underprivileged students and households in the district received gifts from the organising committee. Also, six collectives and 50 individuals received certificates for outstanding participation in a provincial contest on environmental hygiene and food safety.

After the event, around 1,000 youth unionists and volunteers cleared trash from Hải Hòa Beach.

Several localities will carry out environmental activities to mark World Environment Day, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE).

The southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu has been selected to launch a national Action Month for the Environment in June, MONRE said.

Various activities and events will be held in the province through the month, including a seminar on environmental protection, an international exhibition on environmental technology and ecological products, as well as a run for the environment, said Hoàng Văn Thức, deputy director of Việt Nam Environment Administration.

Themed “Connect with Nature”, World Environment Day 2017 looks to encourage the connection between people and nature, and once again call for the protection of the Earth, and for the development of a sustainable relationship between humans and nature. — VNS