THE SMALL EARTH NEPAL

21 September 2013

The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) in collaboration with Small Earth Australia (SEA) and Solid Waste Management Technical Support Centre (SWMTSC) of the Ministry of Urban Development launched Clean up Nepal 2013 successfully on Saturday, September 21.

Under the initiation of Clean Up Nepal 2013, the cleaning programs were also carried out by more than 100 organizations including individuals, civil society and community based organizations, NGOs, diplomatic mission, private sector and government offices, at approximately 45 locations throughout the country. About 16,000 volunteers participated in the campaign, collecting 84,564.5 kilograms of waste from around city streets, residential areas, rivers and public places. The Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Mr. Glenn White, extended his support to the campaign by joining the cleanup at UN Park, Kupondole.

On the occasion of Clean up The World, SEN with its youth network, Nepal Tunza Youth Environment Network (NTYEN), themselves organized a cleaning program at Buddhanagar area as one of the major event of Clean up Nepal with the theme “Our Planet… Our Place… Our Responsibility”. During the event around 60 young people cleaned the residential area along with the participation of local people door to door. So collected 400 kilograms of trashes were collected and transported by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to the landfill site. In comparison to the pilot project for Clean up Nepal campaign organized by SEN and NTYEN on 5 June 2013, the waste has been decreased by 200 kilograms, as people are more aware and have started keeping dustbins nearby the gates of their houses and shops.

Moreover, SEN has been organizing different programs regarding solid waste management by capacity building of young people on 3R principal, spreading awareness among the local communities and training community households on composting. SEN realized the need of collaborative and cooperative efforts at grass root level and advocates for strict rules and regulations for proper disposal of waste and urge for joint efforts to make our own places better for living.

Though different cleaning programs have been organized till date, Clean up Nepal was initiated to bring the entire stakeholders under a single umbrella for a joint effort on a single day providing with common platform for cleaner and greener Nepal with the continuation of community based activities to bring about the change in attitudes and behaviors.