Over 70 students from two schools, environmentalists and citizens from six institutions and organizations in Veliko Tarnovo took part in the environmental action „Let’s Clean the Yantra riverbanks“, dedicated to the World Earth Day – 22 April. An example of committment and actions aiming at clean and healthy environment were given by participants from District Government of Veliko Tarnovo, River Basin Directorate in Pleven, Water Office of Veliko Tarnovo, Humanitarian high school „Sts. St Cyril and Methodius“, Vela Blagoeva High School, NGO „Partners for Sustainable Development“ as well as the co-organisers from the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters in Veliko Tarnovo, Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo and National Environmental Guard of Romania (Chief Directorate) – Romania (NEG).
In the framework of the abovementioned event were collected 15 bags of waste, while the area cleaned up was 15 decares. The largest quantity of waste was collected in the riverbank zone, less was the waste collected in the park areas of Asenevtzi and Boruna which is a clear indication of the ecological awareness of citizens and visitors and the maintenance efforts put in by the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo.
The Yantra river is the main stream running through the town, uniting people from the both banks of the river valley the way the Danube river unites the communities living on each side of the border. On the Earth Day were carried out yet another 6 ecological events in towns situated on rivers in Bulgarian-Romanian cross-border region. The partnership built formed a solid basis for joint planning and actions in the second period of our countries European Union membership aiming at a green and safe region of Veliko Tarnovo located in the Low Danube area.
The action was organised in the framework of the strategic project „Joint Risk Monitoring during Emergencies in the Danube Area Border“, implemented under Crossborder Cooperation Programme Romania-Bulgaria 2007-2013.
The quality of the components of the environment – air, water, rocks, soils, flora and fauna is a key to the health of people. There are numerous additional benefits from their enhancement, namely improvement of the conditions of the ecosystems and ecosystem services as well as better health protection and provision of food.
Protection of the environment and life on Earth suggests shared responsibility of all parties concerned – people and non-governmental organizations as well as local and government authorites, and last but not leats international institutions and programmes. Let us take actions together and set yet another best examples in future!
Kameliya Dzhanabetska
Project Manager
RIEW Veliko Tarnovo
Tel: 00359 889 92 99 34
