PROTECTING the environment is a crucial responsibility that must be passed on to future generations, says an official.
Papua New Guinea Forest Authority director policy and evaluation, Maina Virobo, said: “Teaching children how to care for the planet not only helps them understand the importance of environmental protection but also encourages them to adopt a green, healthy lifestyle,” he said.
Virobo said children are the next generation of custodians to resources and must be actively involved in taking part in World Environment Day celebrations and other events that contribute to help sustain the environment.
On Friday, a mini expo was held at Papa Junior High School in Hiri-Koiari in Central with organisations setting up awareness booths in the school.
Students were handed merchandises and educated on the climate change, forestry, bio-diversity, marine environment and carbon cycle among the topics.
Virobo was among officials and staff from Environment and Conservation, ExxonMobil, PNGFA, Climate Change Development Authority, Food and Agriculture Organisation, European Union and United Nations Development Programme and other non-governmental organisations and environmental groups.
He said children are the next generation of custodians to resources and must be actively in involved in taking part in World Environment Day celebrations and the importance of sustaining these activities.
The school students hung paintings along their school classroom walls and read out poems to mark the day.
Papa Junior High School is located in the Hiri-Koiari and is one of the four PNG LNG plant site villages located along the coast.
The conservation of mangroves along the coastline is ongoing and is part of the village projects to ensure protection of coastlines and create habitats for the marine eco-systems.
UNDP resident representative Nicholas Booth said PNG has an incredible natural system that is important to the world.
“Despite this, the country is still under increasing pressure and this is seen through droughts and floods that are getting worse,” Booth said.
“Climate change can be seen along the coastlines were land is lost to the rising sea levels and in PNG we have the Conflict Islands in Bougainville and others.
“When we are experiencing such, then it is a call for action. There are solutions by planting trees and celebrating World Environment Day but the nature has the solution itself and nothing manages itself better if it being preserved and forming its own ecosystems.
“We need to be more urgent to reverse climate change, conduct more climate action and more biodiversity protection and we need to work together,” he said.
He said UNDP has over 170 member countries and is working on climate action and biodiversity using schools and organisations as awareness avenues.
