On the occasion of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, a branch of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) organised activities at the Children’s Centre in Khorfakkan on Sunday. The celebration – held for the women of the Eastern Region, particularly those in Khorfakkan – included a lecture and a workshop. The event was held to raise awareness about the importance of the ozone layer and ways to protect it by reducing air pollution.
HE Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, EPAA Chairperson, said, “For years, we have been celebrating the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The United Nations (UN) declared that this day would be celebrated on September 16th to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol; 190 states signed this Protocol in 1987. As per the UN General Assembly’s call, we organise activities consistent with the Protocol’s objective of phasing out ozone-depleting substances.”
Awatif Al Naqbi, the manager of EPAA’s Eastern Region branch, said: “Every year on this day, there are efforts to identify measures that can be taken at global, regional and local levels to phase out substances that deplete the ozone layer, helping to preserve life on Earth.”
The women who participated in the celebration expressed their appreciation to EPAA for its activities and programs. They commended the EPAA’s efforts to preserve the environment, and asked the EPAA to continue raising awareness.
The international community’s many agreements related to protecting the ozone layer were formalised in the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, which was signed by 28 countries in March 1985. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was drafted in September 1987 and, in 2009, September 16th became the date for the annual International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.