Caring for the River - Caring for yourself
On one of the weekend, bored with what the charming city has to offer to the Penh girl like me, I asked a friend to go on a trip across from Phnom Penh to Arey Skat over the ferry crossing on the Mekong. It was a normal mid day trip and it was a nice feeling to be on the ferry, on the water. Of course, as someone who spend most of her 8h work each day 5 days each week working on water governance of the Mekong, there is always a special connection, an immersed feeling to connect to the water and its ecosystem once I am on the ferry. And then I observe some interesting banner. on the deck in the upper part of the ferry, there is a few meter long banner call on the public not to throw rubbish into the river because it is illegal. The message from the banner warn the public of a penalty for their simply throwing the rubbish into the river. I think it is a very legitimate call and one that ask for a correct behaviour of the people.
When we arrive at the sohre, another simple stand poster was put high up. The call is more positive this time: lovely your country, think about your future generation. Don't pollute the environement, on land, in the river or elsewhere.
In a period of economic transition, Cambodia is moving up the ladder of wealth and growth, moving from the Least Developed Contry to the Lower Middle Income country. As much contested argument it can bring about this economic development as one could be, the fact is a certain segment of the population accumulated so much wealth and their behaviour and lifestyles has significantly change reflecting their wealth. However, what need to also change is the general knowledge, behaviour and way of living and need to go with this fast changing lifestyle.
We cannot afford to just have a nice expensive car, a good road, and adhere to the same way of driving as of ten or five years ago, can we?
We cannot afford to lead a life as modern family in the city people and continue to throw rubbish out of the bin.
The education for the public and for children of the future starts with us and with the way we conduct our lives. While we often concern about politic and election and who will win the next one (of course we can mostly predict), small things do matter and this start with simply putting the rubbing properly into the bin; use less pastic bag; carrya clothes bag, or keep a recycle cup for our every day needs. Every Cambodian person uses an average of 3-5 plastic bags per day and our country and society and the mother earth we are living in could afford to absorb that level of pollution. we need to act in a simple way to contribute to care for our environment.
Your Action Matters!!!!
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| One of the banner of the Ferry |
When we arrive at the sohre, another simple stand poster was put high up. The call is more positive this time: lovely your country, think about your future generation. Don't pollute the environement, on land, in the river or elsewhere.
 |
| Poster on shore in Arey Ksat ferry terminal |
We cannot afford to just have a nice expensive car, a good road, and adhere to the same way of driving as of ten or five years ago, can we?
We cannot afford to lead a life as modern family in the city people and continue to throw rubbish out of the bin.
The education for the public and for children of the future starts with us and with the way we conduct our lives. While we often concern about politic and election and who will win the next one (of course we can mostly predict), small things do matter and this start with simply putting the rubbing properly into the bin; use less pastic bag; carrya clothes bag, or keep a recycle cup for our every day needs. Every Cambodian person uses an average of 3-5 plastic bags per day and our country and society and the mother earth we are living in could afford to absorb that level of pollution. we need to act in a simple way to contribute to care for our environment.
Your Action Matters!!!!
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