ADDIS ABABA_ As COVID -19 has wreaked havoc on local environmental projects; Environmental Forest Climate Change Commission (EFCCC) announced it has suspended its conservation practices for climate change adaptation.
The commission’s REDD+ Program Coordinator Dr. Yitebtu Moges told The Ethiopian Herald that coronavirus has prevented EFCCC from working closely with its development partners.
“Due to the current situation we are spending our time at home and environmental project are stopped because we have difficulty working together with partners due to COVID-19.”
He further said the pandemic would prevent the project from being completed on time. Therefore, COVID-19 affects the environment, either directly or indirectly. But the coordinator noted that such health crisis would not affect the completion of the project in time.
As to him, at the global level Planes grounded, events canceled, factories shut down: the coronavirus weighs on the world economy, with the unexpected corollary a fall in greenhouse gas emissions in industrial countries. But this good news for the environment could only be temporary.
Coronavirus has brought warning about environment. Clean environment has always been crucial for our survival. But, the coming challenges from climate chaos and the new diseases are about to put it into sharp perspective, “hopefully we can protect environment in time,” he noted.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic disease, many people have stopped their work and they are spending their time at home and using packed foods. And this leads to environment pollutions.
And health professionals like nurses and doctors are also treating their patients by wearing various plastics products to protect themselves, this is also another challenge, as to some climate scientists.
The Ethiopian Herald April 14/2020
BY ESSEYE MENGISTE
