Kiir warns ‘our environment degrading at a rapid rate’

JUBA – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has said that plastic bottles pollution in river Nile may cause serious harm to fisheries and human health saying the environment is degrading at a rapid rate.

Alarmed by the threats posed by plastic wastes to River Nile, Kiir called on the partners to join the race to eradicate plastic wastes.

“For those of you who had the chance to sit along the River Nile, you would have seen massive plastic bottles floating in the river. These plastic bottle wastes pose serious harm to the River Nile ecosystem especially up steam,” Kiir said at an occasion to mark the World Environment Day in Juba on Thursday.

“I can suddenly admit that our environment is degrading at a rapid rate. This environmental degradation comes partially from human activities such as charcoal burning and other contributing factors include disregard from the public about proper waste disposal method,” Mayardit disclosed.

The President directed the Ministry of Environment tackling the dangers of plastic pollution.

“To protect the Nile as a source of our livelihood, I am calling upon the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to work in collaboration with Juba City Council to address this issue. Please, use all the administrative tools at your disposal to address this issue of plastic water bottles and other waste in the Nile once and for all,” he stressed.

“I would like to urge our partners, UN Agencies, NGOs and Civil Society Organization to join hands with us in tackling the dangers of plastic pollution and other environmental challenges,” he added.

He appealed to the general public to preserve and protect the environment by adhering to proper waste disposal.

“We are seeking to conserve our rich diversity as a way of safeguarding our future. South Sudanese have the right to a clean and healthy environment,” he said.

The Nile is heavily polluted by water waste and rubbish poured directly into it, as well as agricultural runoff and industrial waste, with consequences for biodiversity, especially fishing, and human health.