World Environmental Day 2025:
Greener Together: Our Fight Against Climate Threat
On this World Environmental Day, we are reminded of the growing threat of global warming and take a recall of the efforts we’ve made to safeguard our environment. The increasing intensity of floods, droughts, and wildfires is not just a scientific concern—it directly affects our homes, infrastructure, livelihoods, and food systems.
Ethiopia’s dependence on agriculture places us at heightened risk. Shifting weather patterns have led to reduced crop yields, livestock losses, and environmental degradation. This challenges the foundation of food security and socio-economic stability in rural communities.
The global temperature has already increased by about 1°C since the pre-industrial era. If not supported with urgent intervention, this could rise to 1.5–2°C by the end of the century—amplifying extreme weather, threatening agriculture, and displacing vulnerable populations.
This year, the theme of World Environment Day is “Beat Plastic Pollution.” Globally, in 2025, the world is expected to consume 516 million tons of plastics. By 2060, annual global plastic consumption is forecast to reach over 1.2 billion tons.
In Ethiopia, plastic pollution is a growing crisis. Plastic waste clogs sewerage systems, leading to disruption of the proper functioning of sewerage systems, flooding, and sanitation issues. It is also present very widely in rivers and agricultural lands, contaminating water sources, degrading soil quality, posing serious health and environmental hazards, and endangering wildlife.
Each day, tons of plastic waste are generated—much of which goes unmanaged. This World Environment Day, efforts are underway to mobilize communities across the globe to implement and advocate for lasting solutions to #BeatPlasticPollution.
To tackle this issue, efforts such as practices, recycling initiatives, and community awareness campaigns can make a difference. That’s why Kelem Ethiopia is actively committed to implementing a wide range of initiatives through its UYEEP project.
Among the key tasks, sixty volunteer community conversation facilitators from six municipalities have been trained to raise awareness on environmental protection and waste management. These dedicated volunteers are now working to engage and educate 6,000 community members.
Recognizing the power of media to reach wider audiences, a four-month awareness campaign has also been launched, aiming to reach over 200,000 people through FM radio. Weekly 30-minute programs—featuring forum dramas, expert insights, and live broadcasts—are being aired to inspire action and promote sustainable practices.
Besides raising their awareness, Kelem Ethiopia empowers communities to turn plastic waste into a source of income, encouraging them to be active participants in the fight against plastic pollution while making a source of livelihood.
Kelem Ethiopia has taken bold steps to address plastic pollution by empowering unemployed youth through recycling initiatives. More than 350 youth in six towns—Dessie, Kombolcha, Woldiya, Bati, Kemissie, and Hayik—have received training and equipment support to launch their own plastic collection and recycling businesses.
One inspiring example is Tariku Asnake from Bati:
“I never imagined recycling plastic could be profitable. Kelem Ethiopia showed us how to turn waste into opportunity.”
Through the Urban Youth Employment and Environmental Protection (UYEEP) project, these youth were trained in plastic waste management and provided with 6 plastic squeezing machines, 6 transportation mini trucks, 8 types of safety wear, 100 dustbins, and 985 collection bags. Now, they’ve already processed over 3,000 kg of plastic bottles—making their cities and surrounding areas cleaner while generating income.
In parallel, for the past two years, Kelem Ethiopia promotes sustainable farming and environmental restoration by distributing over 54,000 high-market-value seedlings and water pumps to local farmers—helping improve their livelihoods while restoring degraded land.
On this day, we also honor the dedication of our team member. Ato Getachew W/Aragay, Kelem’s project officer, with 34 years of active engagement in the agricultural sector, exemplifies environmental stewardship. His commitment to seedling center establishment, seedling distribution, and hands-on work with farmers has made a lasting impact. He continues to advocate for eco-friendly farming, community awareness, and responsible resource use—from pesticide management to reforestation.
Plastic pollution impacts our health and our environment, and the world calls upon a circular economy for plastics as a way forward.
As the climate crisis deepens, scaling up green initiatives, building community awareness, and implementing sustainable practices must become a national priority.
Together, we can create a cleaner, more resilient Ethiopia—where people and nature thrive side by side.
Let’s act today to protect tomorrow.
