The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan launched the “Clean up the World 2022” campaign in Aqaba on Wednesday, Petra News Agency reported.
The campaign is a social action program aimed at combating the global solid waste problem. Running in 130 countries it offers opportunities for people to contribute toward the conservation of the environment.
Its debut in Jordan attracted more than 700 volunteers from local businesses and institutions.
During the opening ceremony, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Chief Commissioner Nayef Bakheet said the campaign’s main objective was to foster a culture of environmental cleanliness, particularly in the marine environment, which attracts tens of thousands of tourists and diving enthusiasts to the Red Sea city.
Aqaba Governor Khaled Hajjaj said the campaign served to raise community awareness about reducing plastic waste that ends up in the sea.
“Organizing such initiatives is critical to having sustainable and pollution-free environmental resources in order to preserve tourist and archaeological sites, as well as marine natural heritage,” Mohammad Tawaha, director of the conservation society, said.
Dirk Wijnen, director general of the Aqaba Port Marine Services Co., emphasized the campaign’s role in preserving biodiversity and ecological balance, which is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.