Salvadoran companies and institutions have undertaken to urge the United Nations (UN) to set up a "World Day for the Cleaning of Small Rivers". This is an initiative that aims to draw global attention to the problem of pollution of rivers and emphasize the importance of small streams to maintain the quality of water intended for human consumption.
The Rector of Don Bosco University, Salesian Brother Mario Olmos, stressed that this is a problem of education that has to do with the new generations. "As a University, we are engaged in the education of young people. This issue is crucial for us, because our university is located in areas where small rivers are vital to the surrounding communities."
He further stated that this initiative is a concrete way to give real effect to what Pope Francis said in the encyclical "“Laudato Si’", to protect the environment, the natural world that God has given to us human beings.
Persons wishing to join the initiative can do so or either by physically signing the petition on a book provided by the sponsoring organizations, or digitally via the websites and social networks of these organizations. Signatures will be collected throughout the month of March and will then be submitted to the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Mr Felis Latzo, an international environmental, stresses that this initiative seeks to "focus attention on an essential element for life - water. Small rivers are sources of human nutrition and feed larger rivers ... It is important that the population join in the efforts to solve environmental problems."
