Community-based action on climate change involving an estimated 35 million people across the planet in 2007 will culminate in the Clean Up the World Weekend on September 14-16.
Sources here on Friday said more than 650 non-government organisations, community groups, local councils and other agencies in 115 countries are currently working on projects in 2007 to improve the health of the environment.
The focus of many community activities around the world has been on limiting the impacts of climate change through activities such as waste reduction and recycling, water and energy conservation, and re-vegetation.
On Clean Up the World Weekend, the organisations will engage volunteers to take part in activities designed to clean up, fix up and conserve their local environment. The Clean Up the World campaign is in its 15th year and has the support of the United Nation's Environment Programme (UNEP). The 2007 theme "our climate, our actions, our future" channels community action towards addressing the causes of climate change.
The Clean Up campaign started in 1989 when an Australian solo-yachtsman and builder Ian Kiernan, appalled by the amount of rubbish he came across while sailing, organised a clean up of the Sydney Harbour, during which some 40,000 volunteers removed rusted car bodies, plastics, glass bottles and cigarette butts from the water.
The campaign went global in 1993, with Sydney becoming Clean Up the World's headquarters. Today it brings together hundreds of members from around the world ranging from local community groups to national campaigns that carry out environmental projects throughout the year.
Of the 650 Clean Up the World participating members in 2007, over 190 come from Africa, 180 from Asia Pacific, 90 from Europe, 150 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 25 from North America and 15 from West Asia.
Of the 115 countries involved in 2007, those with the highest numbers of participating members are Nigeria then Kenya in Africa, India then the Philippines in Asia Pacific, Argentina then Mexico in Latin America, Spain then the United Kingdom in Europe, USA then Canada in North America and United Arab Emirates in West Asia.