Tadweer launches 'Al Dhafra Deserves' environmental awareness drive

• Center holds virtual press conference to announce campaign’s details and key objectives

Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer) today announced the launch of Al Dhafra Deserves environmental awareness drive at a virtual press conference held in collaboration with its strategic partners including the Department of Municipalities and Transport - Al Dhafra Region Municipality, Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), and Family Development Foundation (FDF).

The campaign aims to enhance public awareness about the importance of proper waste management, reduce random waste disposal, and drive home the concept of ​​‘Your Waste is Your Responsibility’ in a bid to protect the nature and ensure a safe and healthy environment for all.

The virtual press conference, held in view of COVID-19 pandemic and the preventive measures currently in place, was headlined by His Excellency His Excellency Dr Salem Al Kaabi, Director General of Tadweer, and drew the participation His Excellency Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director General of ADAFSA, along with officials from the participating entities and the representatives of local media.

The drive aims to encourage all segments of society to take their responsibility in the preservation of environment, and ensure the aesthetic appeal of Al Dhafra region. To achieve this goal, Tadweer seeks to educate people about the hazards of inappropriate disposal methods both on environment and public health to bring about a significant behavioral change within Al Dhafra society. Furthermore, Tadweer will highlight the services it offers to the public through the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Center 800 555.

The campaign will also provide Tadweer with an opportunity to overcome the challenges posed by the random disposal of waste including furniture, electrical appliances, farm waste, animal carcasses and construction and demolition waste as well as the vandalization of public facilities in several areas of Al Dhafra region. Such practices have severely hampered the Center’s efforts to ensure public health and hygiene in the targeted areas.

The drive targets a broad audience including general public, residential neighborhoods, government entities, construction sites, public parks, farms, schools, universities, commercial outlets, among others. Drawing the participation of many leading experts, the campaign features a variety of awareness activities on Tadweer’s Instagram account to outline effective waste management and pest control methods. Tadweer will also highlight the penalties for offenders under the rules and regulations set by the Department of Municipalities and Transport.

His Excellency Dr Salem Al Kaabi, Director General of Tadweer, said: “Al Dhafra Deserves campaign articulates our sustained efforts to step up collaboration with our partners to achieve Tadweer’s strategic objectives of promoting environmental awareness among all segments of society. The awareness drive highlights the importance of proper and safe disposal of all types of waste in line with international practices and the highest standards. This will significantly contribute to the protection of environment in Al Dhafra region as well safeguard the safety and health of society members. At Tadweer, we are committed to continuing our efforts to improve the aesthetic appeal of Al Dhafra region to support its sustainable development.”

Al Kaabi added: “Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19 pandemic, the specialized teams and the committees supervising the awareness drive are closely collaborating with our strategic partners to ensure that the campaign achieves its goals by ensuring a healthy, clean and safe environment in Al Dhafra region.”

H.E. Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Undersecretary, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), said: "We are proud of the strategic partnership that we have forged with Tadweer, which aims to achieve the objectives of the ‘Al Dhafra Deserves’ awareness campaign while also contributing to the Center's continuing efforts to preserve the aesthetic appeal of the region. By supporting Tadweer's initiative of promoting environmental awareness, ADDED remains steadfast in its commitment to play a key role in educating various segments of society about proper waste disposal methods to ensure public health and safety."

 "At ADDED, we prioritize the environmental issues included in our economic development plans via the implementation of projects that look towards promoting sustainability across various economic sectors. In fact, we are currently working on the ‘Industrial Sector Sustainability’ project, which focuses on reducing the impact made by carbon emissions, rationalizing energy and water consumption and recycling waste," he added.

Al Balooshi also pointed out that the Al Dhafra region is set to witness several major development projects that will require full compliance with the latest environmental, health and safety standards. ADDED’s Undersecretary called on enterprises in the private sector to take part in the campaign, especially for companies that generate large amounts of waste materials that can be recycled like paper, metal, wood and plastics, to name a few. Al Balooshi shared that this would allow the emirate to achieve significant savings on its precious resources that are needed to sustain the operational processes of vital economic sectors in Abu Dhabi. 

Tadweer is the key government entity responsible for all activities related to the development of waste management services in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, including the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste in a safe, efficient and economical manner. The Center is also tasked with carrying out pest control, educating communities about the significance of protecting the environment, and encouraging them to adopt sound environmental habits to drive sustainable development.

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© Press Release 2020