Where: United Arab Emirates
Solutions: Sustainable cities and communities, Reduction in pollution, Involvement of local communities and indigenous peoples
Every year, the Clean Up UAE campaign witnesses thousands of volunteers across the country collecting tons of waste and segregating them for proper disposal. This is one of the country¡¯s most popular grassroot level environmental initiatives, with over 787,916 participants since 2002. Despite being known as one of the highest waste-producing country in the world, the UAE is also one of the foremost in waste management regionally. This campaign consists of volunteers from every strata of society - government agencies, private organizations, corporations, academic institutions, families, and individuals ¨Cwho come together for one single cause ¨C to roll up their sleeves and act as a cohesive unit in cleaning and maintaining the environment of the UAE. The Clean Up UAE Campaign has also been successful in implementing the following SDGs: 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), 15 (Life on Land) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
In 2020, due to the pandemic, the Clean Up UAE Campaign could only be held in two Emirates ¨C Dubai and Abu Dhabi. However, this is an anomaly as EEG usually conducts this campaign in many locations in the 7 Emirates. Another challenge that EEG faced was the lack of Academic institutions participating in the campaign as many schools were closed. With the matter at hand, EEG overcame this challenge by bringing in more participants from the government & private sectors, individuals, and families to join the campaign. Lastly, due to the pandemic and the resultant economic slowdown, there was a lack of financial support for the campaign. EEG overcame this challenge by reaching out to entities and forging strong barter agreements to cater to all the logistical requirements of the campaign.
Photos provided by Emirates Environmental Group
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