Rwanda joined the world to celebrate the International Day for the preservation of the Ozone Layer, a day set out to raise awareness on the ozone layer importance and ways to protect it.
This year’s theme being: “Ozone Layer Protection: The Mission Goes On”, Rwanda is gratified to have taken an excellent step forward in regard to reducing the use of Ozone depleting substances; and calls for joint efforts to achieve their total phase-out by 2020.
“As we celebrate this day, let us reflect on the significant progress made by our Country in reducing the use of Ozone depleting substances, and strive to achieve the set target of phasing them out by 2020,”said Dr. Rose Mukankomeje, Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA).
Rwanda has achieved more than the average of the requirements set by the Montreal Protocol on the Protection of the Ozone Layer to which it is signatory since 2003. The Montreal Protocols requirements of having no use of ozone depleting substances in the chemical family of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in developing countries by 2010; have been achieved in 2009,a year before the set target.
Rwanda is now working on phasing out Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), gases used in cooling equipment, which scientific research revealed that they contain ozone-destroying chlorine and are strong greenhouse gases with a high global warming potential. This is in line with the Protocol’s requirements of phasing-out these gases by 2040.
“We started controlling illegal importation of HCFCs through allocating importation quotas to importers. Controlling and the quotas are allocated in a decreasing manner such that 30% phase down of HCFCs is achieved by 2015, and a total phase-out is registered by 2020,”Mukankomeje further noted.
It is worth to mention that in 2012, Rwanda received an award from the Ozone Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Program, for her outstanding contribution to the preservation of the ozone layer.
According to Juliet KABERA, the National Focal Person on Ozone Layer; this year’s Ozone Day celebrations in Rwanda will be focused on awareness raising of the general public and the business community on HCFCs phase-out as well as alternative refrigerants available on the market.
“This year’s celebrations, we intend to involve the major importers of HCFCs and its dependent equipment because it is through their continued cooperation that we will be able to achieve the set HCFCs phase-out targets,” Mrs Kabera said.
Activities to celebrate the International Ozone Layer Day include:
A walk through the city center geared at raising curiosity and awareness of the business community. This walk is scheduled for today 16th September starting at 9:00 am to 11:00 am and will comprise REMA staff, students from the IPRC Kigali and refrigeration technicians of Kigali. The itinerary for the walk is: SAMSUNG show room at Muhima – The main roundabout of the city – Bank of Kigali Headquarters – Quartier Commercial and end at Rubangura house
A consultative meeting of all stakeholders, to take place today from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm; at Mille Collines Hotel. At this meeting stakeholders will assess the progress made and problems encountered in the implementation of the ozone depleting substances (mainly R22) quota system.
An anti-ozone depleting substances campaign at the major shopping centres mainly NAKUMATT, SIMBA Super Market, SAMSUNG Rwanda, SONY, LG; which has been conducted by REMA in collaboration with the IPRC Kigali; on 12th and 13th September 2014.
The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated every year on 16th September, as proclaimed by the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994. Since then, the Parties have used this day to celebrate the signing of the Montreal Protocol, and the significant environmental and health benefits that this treaty has yielded. Rwanda as signatory to the Montreal Protocol has been celebrating Ozone Day for over nine years.
Ozone Layer prevents excessive exposure of the earth to ultra violet rays. When ozone Layer gets depleted, the UV rays from the sun reach the earth directly without any shielding and likely to cause; skin cancer, eye cataracts, reduced immunity, affect plants’ nutrients distribution and metabolism and by extension the animals that feed on them, as well as disruptions in the marine food chain.
Thus, it is recommended to avoid all actions that contribute to the Ozone Layer depletion, specifically stop using ozone depleting substances in the chemical family of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs &HCFCs) which are mainly used in air conditioners, in building, cars, cold rooms and few refrigerators. Recommended environmental- friendly refrigerants are mainly R600A gases and R290 gases, among others.
REMA
Leave a Reply