1,000 got together to cleanup Maputo’s mangrove, salt marshes

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

1,000 got together to cleanup Maputo’s mangrove, salt marshes

3:18 CAT | 18 Sep 2017

Facebook Carlos Serra (Photo Carlos Serra) / Courtesy photos of the one-day clean up action in Lingamo, Matola

About 1,000 people, including activists, students and environmentalists, turned up to clean the Língamo Salt Marshes near Maputo, on River, Creek, and Beach Clean-Up Day on Saturday.

“It’s a great way to make people aware of the importance of caring for the environment,” initiative coordinator Carlos Serra told Lusa.

Lígamo, on the border between the Matola and Maputo, is located near a river whose currents accumulate garbage from local dumps in the area. In total, the group covered seven square kilometres in an area difficult to access and with poor public sanitation.

lingamo.carlosserra.facebook — Photo by Carlos Serra

“A lot of garbage accumulates here and this affects the quality of life,” explained Carlos Serra, adding that the initiative aims to convey a message of responsible waste management to the local communities.

For Magna Raquel, a final year student on the Environmental Education course at Eduardo Mondlane University, the mix of social groups involved would help change of mentality in the community.

“We ended up combining two activities in one: cleaning up the area, which will improve the aesthetics of the neighbourhood, and environmental education, because our presence makes others aware and sensitises them,” she said.

The Lingamo Salt Marshes host numerous bird species are the source of much of the salt consumed in the region. Official figures for the amount of garbage collected have not yet been released, but a provisional tally suggested some 400 garbage bags had been filled.

Saturday’s initiative was promoted by the Ntumbuluku Environmental Education Cooperative, the Still Standing Association and the Activist Movement. Volunteer beach cleaning in Maputo happens regularly under the auspices of ‘Operação Caco’ (Operation Broken Glass).

What is Coastal Cleanup Day?

Coastal Cleanup Day is an annual international and national volunteer event that:

Helps clean the marine environment, such as the ocean, bays and other water bodies.
Focuses in the shores of lakes, streams, rivers and the ocean.
Involves over 9 million volunteers worldwide.
Removes over 140 million pounds of trash and debris globally.
Originates from the first event over 25 years ago by the Ocean Conservancy.