The environmental youth group Creal Cambodia. Photo supplied
The February 20 community outbreak of Covid-19 has forced the environmental youth group Creal Cambodia to stop public activities to collect rubbish in Phnom Penh and the provinces of Kampot, Kep, Siem Reap and Battambang.
The group’s Keep the Environment Clean project, would instead continue through social media.
On the first Sunday of each month beginning in February, the group implemented the project in Phnom Penh and the four provinces with the participation of hundreds of young people. But the current Covid-19 outbreak has intensified this month.
Hour Chhai Ngorn, Creal Cambodia founder and head of the project, told The Post on March 15 that through this project young people could get together to pick up rubbish and convey the message to other people at the same time. But now with enforced measures to prevent infections, young people cannot gather as a group, he said.
“The online programme that we have implemented is in the context of Covid-19. Environmental volunteer youths must participate in various social media campaigns, playing fun and challenging activities … there will also be educational videos such as cleaning up the environment at any location in the community,” he explained.
Chhai Ngorn added that although it is not possible to carry out direct activities, the group could build a spirit of love for the environment as a resource that unites people to solve social problems and still continue to implement project activities as planned.
“We will still continue to encourage young people to keep thinking about the environment, and we also plan to work as before at the beginning of next month, but we will see what there is to change,” he said.
The online project has been created to remind people about environmental issues, proper garbage disposal and environmental awareness, and to reach a wider audience.
Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the ministry has agreed with the group not to act directly due to the government and the Ministry of Health’s request not to hold large-scale gatherings. The ministry has suggested online campaign instead, he said.
“We keep the message simple: clean the environment, manage waste properly and prevent Covid-19 transmission in our community,” he said.
Pheaktra believes that these messages will reach all people who would work together, especially young people, to properly classify and sort garbage according to the type of waste and also maintain environmental hygiene.
