“Together we care about the water!” – Educational seminars under such a name were held by the NGO “Dobrochyn Center” for residents of the transboundary villages and cities of the Dnipro basin in the village of Repki, Chernihiv region, on October 23 and 24, 2018.
The seminars were held within the framework of the THEOREMS-DNIPRO project aimed at increasing the environmental awareness and effectiveness of the integrated management of transboundary water resources of the Dnipro River in the Chernihiv and Gomel regions.
One of the most pressing problems of our time is the interaction of man with nature. An important aspect in solving the problem of preserving natural resources is education of people in the field of environment, environmental education of the entire population, and especially the younger generation.
Participants include both locals and representatives of government and business, as well as schoolchildren. They actively participated in the discussion of the main sources of pollution of surface and groundwater, including discharges of insufficiently treated wastewater into water bodies; flushing of storm water (thallium) without water purification; clogging of the banks and the water mirror of the river with garbage and household waste; location of objects of economic activity and housing development and plowing of plots within water protection zones and coastal protective bands.
According to the participants, such an irresponsible attitude to natural resources is explained by the low level of environmental outlook and the lack of a sense of responsibility for the state of the environment.
Water is one of the most important natural resources, and in our ability to prevent its pollution. Insignificant changes in habits, for example, the use of natural remedies in place of toxic chemicals, the cultivation of trees and flowers in the garden, can play a huge role. For larger-scale changes it is not necessary to stop the discharges of dirty effluent from local water bodies. Any action can lead to a positive result. Need to think more widely.
Participants noted that we all can affect the quality of water. Definitely, this should be a comprehensive solution, which includes raising the ecological consciousness, corporate social responsibility of the business, promoting “eco” products and products, increasing responsibility for pollution, cooperation between the authorities and the local population, etc.
