Khaberni - A coordinating meeting that included journalists and environmental affair specialists was held on Monday to discuss the axes of the implementation program for the national strategy for cleanliness and reduction of random littering, with the attendance of the Minister of Government Communication and the official spokesperson for the government, Dr. Mohammad Al-Momani, and the Minister of Environment, Dr. Ayman Sulaiman.
The Minister of Environment stated that the ministry is working on preparing a national strategy to address the challenges associated with public cleanliness, primarily random littering, across all the provinces of the kingdom, in line with the concepts of environmental sustainability and integrated waste management.
He added that the strategy relies on enhancing partnerships with the private sector in waste collection and transportation, based on the experience of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, which succeeded in improving the efficiency of environmental services and reducing the environmental impact of wastes.
Sulaiman noted that the implementation program will include intensifying public cleanliness operations in cities, villages, recreational areas, archaeological sites, forests, and agricultural and wooded lands. He stated that an agreement was made with the Ministry of Education to be a partner in implementing the program by enhancing environmental awareness among students and establishing positive environmental behavior.
He explained that there will be an expansion in implementing the memorandum of understanding signed with the Ministry of Justice to oversee the execution of alternatives to custodial sentences, through programs that improve cleanliness in various locations, alongside installing 300 mobile cameras to monitor violations, including 50 cameras within the capital and 250 cameras in other provinces, and launching an electronic system to automate violations and link it with mobile devices.
On his part, Dr. Mohammad Al-Momani, the Minister of Government Communication, emphasized the government's commitment to implementing the execution program to reduce random littering, alongside launching a national media campaign targeting the correction of incorrect behaviors related to littering.
He stated that the government is keen on conducting a dialogue with journalists and environmental stakeholders to come up with recommendations that contribute to the effective implementation of media campaigns, affirming that the execution program is a national program that requires concerted efforts at various levels.
Al-Momani clarified that the program includes four main phases, starting with launching a national campaign for awareness and education, improving and sustaining cleanliness in public places, enhancing supervision and law enforcement, monitoring violations from vehicles, recreational and tourist locations, public facilities, and developing the infrastructure and providing areas with containers of different sizes and improving transportation and collection operations in partnership with all relevant ministries.
Al-Momani confirmed that the program is part of the economic modernization vision, in terms of improving the quality of life and establishing Jordan's status as a tourist destination, indicating the expected positive impact on public health, environmental protection, and reducing the costs of waste management.
