Kura River - May 2018 Сleanup

Cleanup event during the fish spawning and migration periods took place at the Kura River’s mouth in Neftchala’s Banka settlement.

Nearly 150 volunteers, including local youth and public representatives participated in the cleanup. Equipped with appropriate sanitary equipment, participants removed the household waste and used fishing nets from the river and its banks. As a result of the cleanup, around 1 ton of rubbish was collected from Kura river and its surroundings, and sent to the Neftchala waste landfill. During the campaign, Neftchala locals were also informed about degree of pollution in the river, environmental impacts of waste dumping and use of deadly gill nets on the Caspian sea and Kura river, as well as their role in conserving the water. At the end of the event, participants were given certificates of appreciation to remind them of the work they’ve done and the positive effects they’ve had on the environment.

The goal of the campaign was to prevent pollutants from entering the river, ensure compliance with the sanitation and increase public awareness about the negative consequences of waste dumping on the ecosystem of Kura and the Caspian Sea.

The cleanup of Kura river was organized as part of the program for restoration of Caspian Sea fauna. Studies show that the increasingly evolving household and industrial waste is one of the reasons for drastic decline in spawning rates in Kura River and the Caspian Sea. IDEA along with its local and international partners regularly initiates coastal cleanup activities to increase protection and preservation of biological resources and eliminate environmental problems.

IDEA is sending a huge thank you to its supporters and everyone who got involved in the cleanup. The campaign calls on everyone to stay environmentally conscious and keep the coasts clean.