Eritrea: Workshop on Reducing Environmental Pollution

A workshop aimed at addressing health problems affecting humans and livestock, as well as environmental pollution caused by unsafe waste management and plastic use, was conducted on 13 June in Barentu, Gash Barka Region.

Mr. Abubeker Osman, Director General of Agriculture and Land in the region, stated that although directives have been issued at the national level to mitigate the impact of plastic use on the environment, plastic products are still widely used by the public. He noted that the workshop aimed to review the measures taken so far and to discuss further actions needed to ensure environmental safety.

Mr. Abraha Gebreamlak, head of the Agriculture branch, provided an extensive briefing on environmental resources, their benefits, and the challenges related to solid and liquid waste management. He highlighted the coordinated efforts in areas such as Teseney and Akordet, where administrations and communities are working together to eliminate hazardous wastes, including plastic. He stressed the need to implement the existing national guidelines.

Ambassador Mahmud Ali Hirui, Governor of the region, emphasized that environmental pollution caused by plastic is becoming increasingly alarming. He called for the establishment of a committee involving all administrations and relevant institutions to assess current waste management practices and plastic use, and to propose concrete measures for improvement.

Participants conducted extensive discussions on the issues raised during the workshop and adopted various recommendations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.