Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (R) and Vice Standing Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Ngo Thi Thanh Hang (centre) take part in the ceremony lanching activities on June 5 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi People’s Committee hosted a ceremony on June 5 to kick start a series of activities in response to the 2016 World Environment Day which is celebrated in Vietnam under theme “Nature’s Call and Our Actions”.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Environment Day (June 5) aims to inspire people around the world to take action to prevent the strain on Earth’s natural systems from reaching breaking point.
This year’s theme is the fight against illegal wildlife trade, which erodes the precious biodiversity and threatens the survival of awe-inspiring species, such as elephants, rhinos and tigers, as well as other creatures that are less celebrated.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hanoi People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung urged local authorities at all levels, businesses and residents to join hands to protect the environment.
He also announced to the public the city’s website for environment protection at “thudoxanhsachdep.gov.vn”.
After the event, the city’s leaders, delegates and youths together planted trees and cleaned public places around Hoan Kiem Lake.
On the same day, 30 districts and towns of Hanoi city kicked off their activities in response to World Environment Day. Their residents planted trees, collected waste, cleaned sewage and removed illegal wall advertisements.
A children’s drawing competition for environment protection was also co-organised by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and its Hanoi chapter and Nhi Dong (Children) Newspaper to raise children’s awareness of environmental issues.
About 100 youths from the municipal Department of Environment and Natural Resources, youth unions of the city’s agencies and volunteer clubs participated in a cycling parade around main streets in Hanoi to call for a joint effort of local community to protect the environment.
Earlier on June 4, Hanoi planted 1,000 ban (Bauhinia Variegata) trees along Vo Nguyen Giap street as part of the plan to grow 1 million trees for 2016-2020 in the city.
Ban flower is typical to the northern mountainous region of Vietnam, often in blossom in spring.-VNA
