From the time Mekong stretch toward large sea, it connect the life of two river’s banks. Mekong has long been the most culturally diverse region in the world, the largest rice exporter in Southeast Asia, has the second largest biodiversity after the Amazon River, providing large amounts of protein to the people of the country. The Mekong is threatened by environmental pollution. Scientists warn that climate change will affect the fisheries and livelihoods of people living on both sides, the decline of rice yields will greatly affect the lives of the people, if there is no plan to handle in time, the consequences are difficult to predict. So, where is the cause?
Due to local people’s waste and industrial waste are discharged directly into the river, downstream deforestation, hydropower dams stop and change the flow of the river, causing erosion, landslide, saline intrusion with coastal provinces and neighboring provinces such as Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, Hau Giang. Seeing the consequence, the Mekong yacht company plans to realize activities that will help to clean the Mekong River, contribute to raising awareness of people in protecting the environment and protecting their children’s future life.
With a plan to collect waste on bank and river to create a beautiful view of the river, aware of important of environmental protection, the practical work of the company towards the local government and technical trade school Cai Be support the company on human resources.
The company gives all employees a day to pick up trash but still paid with total of 50 employees. The school gives 20 students a day to pick up rubbish with them. Local authorities support to collect rubbish and transport them to treat it in accordance with the regulations.
As planned on August 30, 2018, all employees and students pick up trash in Hoa Qui Hamlet, Hoa Khanh Commune, Cai Be District, Tien Giang Province. You will pick up the waste from the station of the Mekong yachts to the end of the river and pick up trash on the road to Cai Be market, hand out leaflets to raise their awareness of waste disposal. Funding for this activity is provided by the Mekong Yacht Company, which includes a day’s salary for workers, money for trash pickers, a lunch for everyone involved in picking up trash, water, boat to collect garbage to the landfill.
As a result, a corner of the Mekong becomes clean and beautiful, with no footprints of trash, a 1 km route is also cleaned by the students. Residents see the enthusiasm of the workers to take a day off work as well as the students take a day off school to pick up rubbish for their lack of consciousness. Residents commit not to litter into the river. Instead, they will build incinerators, put bins on the road for the truck collect garbage every day.
In order to clean up the Mekong River, it is necessary that all people, provinces, businesses, and even countries which have the Mekong River running through join together. Though it does not clean up every corners of the river, but it contributes a lot to environmental protection, raises people’s consciousness, is inspiration and motivation for organizations ,businesses to protect environment together, save the Mekong. It costs a lot of money, but the company still wants to contribute a small part to help Mekong become more beautiful and the day August 30th every year will be the company’s environmental day. The next plan of the company is expanding this model throughout the Mekong Delta provinces.