Ministry of Environment prepares for nationwide cleaning campaign on Saturday

AMMAN — The Ministry of Environment is preparing to launch a nationwide cleaning campaign on Saturday, to mark the 25th anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah’s Ascension to the Throne.

The campaign, aside from the clean-up effort, will also include the installation of new waste disposal facilities in public parks, according to a ministry statement released on Wednesday.

Organised in cooperation with the private and civil society sectors, Environment Minister Ibrahim Shahahdeh will inaugurate the campaign, which targets woodlands, parks, public areas and tourist attractions, as well as sites along the Jordan Trail.

Minister Shahahdeh, in the statement, said that the ministry has a vested interest in conveying the importance of preserving nature to citizens.

“Cleanliness is a religious, moral and patriotic duty,” the minister said in the statement.

He added that the campaign is part of a series of efforts and initiatives aimed at raising citizens’ awareness of pollution in Jordan.

Other ministries, including the ministries of education, municipal affairs, agriculture, tourism, interior and awqaf, will partake in the campaign.

Respective ministries will provide logistical support and equipment, such as machinery and vehicles, according to the statement.

The campaign will launch at exactly 10am in all of the governorates, Shahahdeh noted.

Parks, green areas and shared public spaces, not to mention tourist sites and recreational facilities, are everybody’s property and every individual is responsible for the preservation and cleanliness of these facilities, he added.

He also stressed that parks and any such recreational and environmental facilities are national treasures that citizens need to help protect and preserve.

Shahahdeh said that Jordanians are always keen on preserving their national resources and treasures, as he called on everyone to join the campaign, especially considering the arrival of spring.