The rivers in Ozurgeti and Ambrolauri municipalities in Georgia are now adorned with banners carrying important messages. These banners, created by local youth with the support of the European Union and the Caucasus Environmental Non-governmental Network (CENN), aim to raise awareness about river pollution and waste management.
One of the banners reads, “Every thoughtless step eventually turns against us,” reminding us that our actions have consequences and that we must be mindful of our impact on the environment. The other banner states, “Trash should be in bins, not in rivers,” emphasizing the importance of proper waste disposal.
These banners are not just eye-catching, but they also have QR codes that link to short videos showing the pollution levels of each river. This innovative approach was made possible through the Georgia Climate Action project, which trained local youth for seven months on researching river pollution and waste management issues.
Forty young people participated in the project and attended training sessions on climate change. They also assessed the condition of rivers in their municipalities and planned awareness campaigns, including informational meetings, creating slogans, and producing videos.
Sixteen-year-old Nini Megrelidze, one of the project participants, shared, “Our goal was to identify places that are attractive to tourists and where people can enjoy their time, and to check whether there are trash bins along the riverbanks and how polluted the surrounding areas are.”
Another participant, 29-year-old Salome Abutidze from Ambrolauri, added, “There are two major rivers in Ambrolauri—Krikhula and Ritseula. Although they are considered relatively clean, there are certain spots along the banks where trash is frequently left. This significantly pollutes the surrounding area, and sometimes waste even ends up in the water.”
It is evident that the efforts of these young people have made a positive impact in their communities. The banners serve as a reminder to everyone to be responsible for their actions and to take care of the environment. Let us all join hands in keeping our rivers clean and healthy for future generations.
To learn more about this project, visit the Facebook post by the EU Delegation to Georgia or read the article ‘Eco-activism in Georgia: Youth against river pollution’.
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