Religious institutions in Van Ninh District, Khanh Hoa Province have joined environmental protection efforts, contributing to keeping the natural setting green, clean and beautiful...
Religious institutions in Van Ninh District, Khanh Hoa Province have joined environmental protection efforts, contributing to keeping the natural setting green, clean and beautiful.
Many good models
With the model “say no to plastic bags” and mangrove forest cultivation to protect the environment in Hai Trieu Village, local residents in Hai Trieu Village, Van Long Commune and Buddhists of Hai Giac Pagoda have planted more than 5,000 mangrove trees to restore mangrove forests to protect the coastal area.
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The members have also helped locals tidy gardens, roads and neighborhood; collect daily garbage and plastic bottles; and mobilize the reduced use of plastic bags in everyday activities, contributing to gradually building good habits in daily life. So far more than 80% of locals in the commune have changed in awareness and enthusiastically participated in environmental protection activities. Besides, households with their farms near mangrove forests have pledged to join the environmental effort, according to Le Hoa, Chairman of Van Long Commune Fatherland Front Committee.
Xuan Tu 2 Village, Van Hung Commune has 717 households with over 3,000 members, 90% of whom are Catholic. The model “Catholic community joining environmental protection in response to climate change” was founded in early 2018 to keep the environment in the village green, clean and beautiful. Through Catholic lectures, priests have inspired parishioners to join environmental effort. The members have also paid home visit to persuade households, especially aquacuturists, to sign pledges to protect the environment; and put hundreds of dustbins on village roads. In addition, the village Fatherland Front board has also encouraged locals to plant flowers along roadsides. “Villagers are eager to respond to the environmental model. More and more people have signed the pledge to protect the environment and join clean up in the neighborhood,” said Vo Cao, Chief of Xuan Tu 2 Village, Chairman of Van Xuan Parish Pastoral Council.
Further expansion
For the last 5 years, hundreds of religious intuitions in the district have implemented many environmental activities in the residential area, especially in far-off places in unfavorable conditions for centralized garbage collection and treatment. Specific environmental lessons and activities have been convincingly integrated in daily lectures given by monks and priests. The environmental protection campaign has proved effective in 80% of communities so far.
Nguyen Duc Hoa, Vice-Chairman of Van Ninh District Fatherland Front Committee said that recently, organizations have collaborated with the Committee for Religious Solidarity to mobilize religious institutions to proactively participate in environmental protection, contributing to improving the environment. The effective promotion of models of religious institutions participating in environmental protection and climate change response has not only enhanced the roles, responsibilities and contributions of religious dignitaries and followers but also strengthened the national unity.
In the coming time, the district Fatherland Front Committee will continue expanding the models across the district, especially in religious communities; building more models suitable to specific conditions of each locality and religion, thereby, creating a change in environmental awareness and habits of people of all religions, contributing to keeping Van Ninh District clean, green and beautiful.
Ma Phuong
Translated by N.T
