Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

print

share

Public Dialogue " Take Actions to Reduce Air Pollution "

The public dialogue "Take Actions to Reduce Air Pollution "was held with respect to the World Environment Day initiated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. Under the event, invited guests along with the field specialists set focus on the ambient air pollutants and pollution sources and their impact on human health. The participants highlighted measures to improve the ambient air quality in the country.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture,  Levan Davitashvili opened the event. In his speech, the Minister underlined the importance of environmental protection as well as improvement of existing situation in the country and announced it as one of the top priorities for the Government of Georgia, which carries out a number of important activities to improve the air quality.

"Environmental protection requires complex approaches. However, active participation of civil society is of utmost importance to meet challenges of environmental protection, apart from reforms, measures or policy implemented by government. Therefore, we celebrate the World Environment Day together with experts, NGOs and media representatives, who are heard and respected by the society. Moreover, joint responsibility and efforts will lead us to improve the environment and quality of air and subsequently, we will be able to achieve effective results " said Levan Davitashvili.

At the event, the Environmental Ombudsman, David Morrison, Deputy Chairman of the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Zaza Khutsishvili and Chairman of the Board at Georgia Alliance for Safe Roads, Ekaterine Laliashvili delivered welcome speeches.

The officials of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, as well as representatives of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health have been focused on the air protection policy, implemented reforms and problems caused by the air pollution.

The World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5th of June every year, with large scale events. The Environmental Day has been actively celebrated in Georgia over the past few years, aiming to enhance public awareness on environmental issues and ensure active engagement of civil society  to overcome challenges.

On December 15, 1972, the UN General Assembly declared June 5 as an International Day of Environmental Protection. Under the initiative of the United Nations,  the ‘’UN Environment Program’’ (UNEP) addresses different areas of environmental protection to identify the main theme for the World Environment Day. In 2019, the main message of the World Environment Day is " Take Actions to Reduce Air Pollution ".