800 Lagos school children will participate in activities to mark World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 8).

The municipality of Lagos has prepared a week of activities to mark World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 8). The two commemorative dates, instituted by the United Nations (UN), “aim to sensitize governments, cities, civil society organizations and citizens to environmental issues and mobilize them to adopt a transformative practice that allows reversing, or at least minimize the negative impact of human activity on ecosystems,” says the municipality on its website.

On the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day, celebrations will focus on plastic pollution. “According to data released by the UN, more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced each year, half of which are for single use. Of this total, less than 10% is recycled. It is therefore estimated that 19 to 23 million tons of plastic end up in lakes, rivers and seas, becoming one of the most serious threats to the planet. In addition, a lesser-known risk arises from the large volume of microplastics consumed annually in food, water and air.”

The World Environment Day campaign slogan and hashtag #CombataAPoluiçãoPorPlástico (Combat Plastic Pollution) will be reinforced by the World Oceans Day motto and appeal: “It’s time to put the ocean first”, focusing on choices and solutions that we can all adopt to move towards a more circular economy.

In this sense, to mark the two dates, 800 Lagos preschool and primary education students will participate in activities promoted by the municipality in partnership with the AORCA association and PROJETO NEW DISCOVERIES. These will include artistic, sensorial and informative workshops of an environmental nature and educational sustainability activities at Quinta do Vale da Lama.

For the remaining age groups, an activity is planned at the Municipal Market of Santo Amaro, where exhibitions will focus on the gravity of marine litter and reveal the outcome of a study of residues found on Lagos beaches.

The Environment and Oceans Week runs until June 9 and can be enriched with spontaneous initiatives organized by citizens and other entities, as is the case of the Hotel Vila Galé, which is planning a beach cleaning activity with its employees in the Meia Praia area.