DILI, 26 Outubro 2020 (TATOLI)— Environmental Secretary launched a 300 strong environmental brigade to protect the environment in Timor-Leste.
The environmental Secretary, Deométrio do Amáral do Carvalho said these brigades would protect the forests, contribute to national re-forestation, combat environmental urbanisation, control the ecological activities which impact the natural environment in a bad way such as burning, trash wasting, and other activities.
“Today is a celebration of the national environmental day which is held on October 26. We Celebrate this with the first launching of the environmental brigades, which have just finished two days of training, with a total of 300 volunteers in the brigades,” Deométrio said at the environmental day launch ceremony.
SEA has set plans for 2021, with the hope that the brigades will reach 1000 volunteers, hoping to attract the youth of the community.
“We know that youth is a large sector of society; it needs to capitalise on, and they need to be encouraged to be active participants in the development process and to protect and secure the environment,” he said.
The head of the FALINTIL Defense Force, Col. Calisto Santos ‘Coli’Coliati, encourages all the protectors to become a transformative agent to ensure the security of Timor-Leste’s environment.
“your role is important to continue share, both, information and training to our society to stop cutting the trees, and burning the forest,” he said.
He recognises this incentive is to wake up the youth in an organised movement to own the spirit of voluntaries to safe and protect as well as conserve nature.
SEA will make connections with all the Ministries in the environmental sector such as Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery and Firefighters to provide training to the youth to participate in the training of the natural disaster deals such as earthquake, tsunami, burning, for the volunteer to do the intervention.
The Launch ceremony is joined by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery, Pedro dos Reis, Sports Secretary, Abrão Saldanha, Civil Protection Secretary, Joaquim Gusmão, the Representative of PNTL and other institutions.
Journalist: Florêncio Miranda Ximenes
Editor: Julia Chatarina/Nick Kettle
