IS OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONSERVE ENVIRONMENT

There is some local saying which states that, if we conserve our environment properly, it will conserve us as well, but nobody cares. Instead we are putting our life at risks for not conserving our environment. We experience problems such as diseases like cholera, unpleasant smell, excessive hotness, drought, bush fires and sometimes death.

It seems that human being are the one who destruct the environment through cutting down trees for charcoal making,lumbering, dumping rubbish, industrial activities and urinating on areas which are strictly prohibited to do so. On the other hand, illegal ways of harvesting honey such as using fire are contributing on environmental degradation.

This is envidenced by activities conducted by people aroung Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forests reserves leading to detoriation of the status of the forests. As the result, the temperature has increased in Dar es Salaam and coastal areas as these forets reserves are considered as the lungs/sinks of carbon.

In Dar es Salaam city most of the areas nearby are very dirty and producing unpleasant smell which annoy people. The tendency of urinating in those prohibited areas seems like a normal thing especially to men and other people also dump garbage and plastic bottles after drinking water without considering how these wastes can affect the environment.

On the other hand garage activities such as in Tabata area and other industrial activities in Dar Es Salaam produce chemicals which flows to the river that pollute our environment, cause some health problems and death of other living organisms.As the result of this, people get suffered from cancer and other dangerous diseases.

Government and other environmental agencies should take initiatives to make sure that they educate peoples about policies and laws safeguarding the environment through preparing workshops and seminars to enable them understand what the policies and laws provide.

On the other hand, local government should make sure that they prepare by-laws which prohibit peoples from polluting the environment and give some punishment to those who are against these by-laws.Each municipal should also plan environmental campaign involving competitios with the aim of conserving the environment. Those who will be in the frontrunner should be given rewards for recognition for their remarkable efforts in environmental conservation; this will motivate other people or environmental associations/ groups to engage in protecting and conserving the environment.

The city council shoul aslo plan for learnng/visit day where different stakeholders in the city will meet to discuss and take an example from Moshi municipal, the municipal that has become champion in environmental conservation.
Written by;
Lina James-YET2011