Today, UNIFIL marked World Environment Day, that is celebrated yearly on 5 June at an event held in Naqoura, south Lebanon. 
 
This year’s theme “Beat Air Pollution” is a global call to invite all of us to think how we can change our daily lives to reduce the amount of air pollution produced, prevent its contribution to global warming and its effects on people’s health.
 
At the ceremony, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col addressed the staff, “UNIFIL is committed to decrease the effects of its operations on the environment. In collaboration with the troops contributing countries, we are committed to reduce the impact on the environment by taking preventive actions such as planting trees increasing the use of hybrid systems to produce energy, utilizing the technology of solar farms and solar water heaters.”
 
In 2015, the Greening the South initiative was launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment.  A project that aimed to plant around 200,000 trees in south Lebanon to promote sustainable environmental conservation. Last year, UNIFIL planted around 1,500 trees throughout the area of operation in close cooperation with local authorities. Recently, UNIFIL  introduced the composting on-site aiming to replicate this practice all over the mission to reduce the amount of waste. From increasing the use of hybrid systems to produce energy utilizing the technology of solar farms and solar water heaters, UNIFIL has been determined to protect the environment of the communities they serve in south Lebanon.

Major General Del Col also warned, “We should preserve the local environment also by educating those you work with in the protection and respect of the very resource we need to survive.” And he continued:” I urge all to contribute in enhancing the environment, particularly so where we are deployed. This can be done by simple actions, such as carpooling, cycling, walking, no car idling, switching off air conditioners when not needed, thus leading to the reduction of the co2 emissions.”
 
The event ,coordinated by UNIFIL’s Environmental Management Unit, included staff members and senior mission leadership cleaning the shores next to the Mission’s headquarters and the performance of a song written and sung by a UNIFIL staff member, Monita Youssef