World Environment Day: in Conakry, nature defenders give their point of view

In 1972, the United Nations General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day. The first celebration of the event took place in 1974, with the slogan “One Planet Earth”. The same reality returns and becomes relevant as a theme again this year.

In Guinea, environmental actors and defenders are becoming aware of the danger to which those around us are exposed. On this question which is becoming more and more crucial, these avant-gardists express themselves with diverse and varied opinions.“It must be remembered that every year, actors who are interested in the problems and issues linked to the environment come together to take stock in order to be able to propose solutions. So this day, for us, is a day that is very interesting for the future of the environment,”begins Sory Camara, president of the Federation of Waste Managers of Guinea (FEGEDEG).

This year's theme is evocative

This other actress is not simply an observer in the field. She is someone who has done a lot of activity in this sector.“World Environment Day is under the theme, “one earth”. A really evocative theme because we don't have a planet B, we don't have a spare planet. With all the degradation that we are seeing, in terms of Biodiversity, especially since our country is a country that Mother Nature has endowed, a little more generous with so many useful, forestry, faunal and floristic resources,”describes Idiatou Camara, administrator of Radio environment.

For Kadija Sylla, communications manager for the NGO Femme Engagée pour la Salubrité (FES), the environmental issue must be a common fight.“Speaking of this concept, I say to myself that we, the actors, must pool our efforts so that it is better understood by everyone. This can help us live in symbiosis with nature,”she says.

The fight is certainly long, but it is impossible not to win. This is what Makan Soumaoro, president of the Woman-Child Space for the Environment, believes.“My perception of the environment is that it allows us to be in good health. When we are in a healthy environment, it can rid us of many diseases” adds this environmental enthusiast.

A collective effort is essential to hope to obtain results

Joint actions are often difficult to obtain. But for this other actor, it is one of the best paths to follow to succeed in the fight against the degradation of our ecosystem.“This day means a lot to me. Because it’s a day of awareness. This celebration is far from being a party, it is about taking concrete actions. All structures, all NGOs should stand up to take action to protect the environment through awareness-raising. It must be a day where everyone puts the brakes on their daily activity and takes a civic action within the framework of the environment,” underlines Laurent François Loua, head of Christian Student Youth.

World Environment Day is intended to be historic and collective. Today the findings show that the fight against climate change and the degradation suffered by the environment is of interest to everyone.“It’s a historic day. A day for environmentalists. So we will have to intensify communication, I think that this can affect decision-makers, the Presidents of the Republic because if we do not react, nature risks reacting,” says Mamady Aminata Touré, president of CIPAD international.

The NGO Act Against Global Warming (ACOREC) is not on the sidelines of environmental issues in Guinea. For its executive director, Abdoulaye Gonkou Bah,“World Environment Day is a reintegration, or reintegration of the environment into the daily behavior of citizens. Because today the environment in Guinea is completely degraded, devastated, this is the term I can give. »

For better progress in the field of environmental protection, public policies must have an important place. It is this dynamic that Amadou Sékou Diakité, president of the National Network of Civil Society for the Environment and Sustainable Development (RENASCEDD), suggests: “This day must be memorable for Guinea, for a few reasons. First of all, Guinea is a strategic country in terms of environmental preservation, for the simple reason that all the major rivers that water the sub-region come from Guinea. The second reason, the policy of the current authorities in the country is geared towards mining governance”.

A platform to inspire change

Above all, World Environment Day provides a global platform to inspire positive change. It encourages individuals to think about their consumption patterns, businesses to develop more ecological models, farmers and manufacturers to produce more sustainably, governments to invest in repairing the environment, educators to encourage students to act and young people to build a greener future.

Aliou DIALLO