Kathmandu, April 21:

A six-week campaign, beginning tomorrow, was made public today to celebrate the Earth Day on April 22 and the World Environment Day on June 5.

Altogether 26 organisations have joined hands to launch the campaign throughout the country with a view to create awareness among the people about the need to protect the Earth and the environment at the local and the global levels.

Economic growth and development have put enormous pressure on natural system with threats to global environment, including global warming and ozone layer depletion and local environment problems like acid precipitation, air pollution, the Earth Day and Environment Day-Nepal Committee 2008 said today at a programme organised to make public the campaign.

The joint celebration is intended to make general public aware of the issue, sensitise them and make the government responsive to the issues and consider them seriously in government policies, the committee said in a statement.

The organisers of the programme include organisations working in the field of nature and environment like Climate Change Network Nepal, Clean Energy Nepal, the WWF Nepal, Small Earth Nepal, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Environment Management Department, United Mission to Nepal, Valley Traffic Police and Environment and Public Health Organisation Nepal (ENPHO).

The programmes in the drive include signature campaigns starting April 21 - which will be later submitted to the constituent assembly to take into account environmental issues while drafting constitution, bicycle rally and spot cleaning at Tundikhel on April 22, emission testing of vehicles on April 24, Eco-Yatra and Environment Film Festival from May 16 to 18.

The campaign will also feature “No plastic drives” in shopping malls in second week of May, consultation meeting on climate change from April 21-27 in Hetauda, climate change workshops in Chitwan and wrist band campaign from April 22 to June 5.

Other programmes of the campaign include implementation of sustainable transport week from May 30-June5, rallies and concerts until June 5.

Bhusan Tuladhar, executive director of Environment and Public Health Organisation (ENPHO) said public initiative and participation is a must to ensure healthy environment and the campaign is primarily meant to make people aware about the environmental issues as a matter of debate among every common citizens of the country.