DESTEA stimulating awareness on environmental issues and challenging all to #beat plastic pollution
In celebrating Environment Month, Department of Economic Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) held Environment Career Expo on the 2nd June 2023 at Willem Pretorius Nature Reserve to raise awareness and encourage action for the protection of the planet. This year’s theme for the World Environment Day is #Beat Plastic Pollution, to remind people`s actions on plastic pollution matters.
It is has been estimated that each individual consumes an average of 50 000 micro particles of plastics annually and 21 millions tones of plastics is been deposited in the water bodies annually exacerbating GHGs emissions and consequently the impacts of climate change.
The purpose of the Career Expo was to make learners aware of opportunities in the environment management sector and to call upon civil society and everyone to work towards improving the environment and influence the choice of subjects leading into pursuing career in environment.
About 400 grade 9 leaners across the province participated and attended the exhibitions by relevant stakeholders within the sector.
One of the grade 9 Natural Science teacher from Kananelo Secondary school acknowledge and appreciated department’s initiative by saying, “The Career Expo has catered for learners because in natural science we are talking about nature. This session is very informative and learners will gain more knowledge in the environment sector. Bear in mind that learners in Grade 8 to grade 9 do not do subjects related to career choice, they only chose subjects when they are in grade 10. So doing this in grade 9 gives them more knowledge pertaining the careers that they want to choose in future”. The Career Expo should be held annually in the Free State Province alluded, Modiko said.
Various stakeholders within their respective fields were present and offered valuable advice with regards to the environmental sector.
To mark the Environment Month 2023, the department will embark on the following environment flagship programme for the month of June 2023.
- Environment Stakeholder Engagement - 13 June 2023
- DESTEA Environmental Week - 19-23 June 2023
- Closing of Environment Month-30 June 2023
In his 2023 /24 Budget Vote speech, MEC Thabo Meeko explained that department will focus on economic opportunities existing within the waste management ecosystem. For the current financial year, will allocate R4m to support SMMEs who are participating in the Waste Economy working with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, through their Recycling Enterprise Support Programme (RESP). In the previous financial year, 5 Free State-based enterprises have benefitted from RESP to the value of R25m,”MEC said.
Environmental sustainability within the Free State Province is conducted within the prescripts of promoting Section 24 of the South African Constitution, recognizing and promoting environmental rights as contained in the Bill of Rights. The department recognized the responsibility of promoting a pristine environment that facilitates a transformative economic agenda to create jobs. The focus areas are environmental Quality and Protection: environmental education and awareness, waste and air quality management, environmental impact and assessments and also promoting the circular economy with a particular focus on waste and recycling.
