08 Oct 2019

Botswana has been able to phase out almost 95 per cent of Ozone Depleting Chemicals (ODCs) as part of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

This was said by acting deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Conservation Wildlife and Tourism Mr Charles Mojalemotho during the commemoration of  World Ozone Day in Francistown. 

He said Botswana had complied with Montreal Protocol obligations and rectified all its amendments.

This, he said, was a success story for Botswana.

Mr Mojalemotho explained that the ozone layer was a fragile shield of gas protecting the earth from  harmful portions of the sun’s rays thus helping preserve life on the planet.

The biggest threat to the ozone layer, he said, were gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning collectively known as ODCs.

As part of the commitment to healing the ozone layer, nations had agreed to phase out ODCs and replace them with ozone and climate friendly ones, he said.

Mr Mojalemotho said the responsibility to protect the ozone layer did not lie with the protocol but with every individual. 

“Each of us can make a little contribution which collectively will make a huge impact,” he said.

He advised people to position refrigerators in such a way that it  allowed free circulation of air at the back and to avoid putting the freezer next to the stove. 

Mr Mojalemotho further said people could take extra precautions by wearing sunglasses on brighter days.

When outdoors in the sun, people must use sunscreens, wear wide-brimmed hats and other protective clothing, he said.

Mr Mojalemotho said the easy way to tell how strong the sun rays were at any particular time was to observe one’s shadow.

“If the shadow is taller than you, your exposure to radiation is lower. 

If the shadow is shorter than you, then your exposure to the sun is very high,” he explained. 

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Tshegofatso Setumo thanked government for choosing Francistown, particularly the Francistown Centre for the Deaf, as the venue for the commemoration.

Kgosi Setumo said people with such a disability should not be left out when it came to matters of climate change because they were also affected. 

However, she complained that residents of Francistown did not attend the commemoration in the expected numbers despite having been informed on time. 

The objectives of the day were to raise awareness on environmental and climate change issues as well as to show that disability is not inability, hence the choice of the centre as venue. 

World Ozone Day falls on September 16 and is commemorated internationally for the preservation of the Ozone layer. 

This year’s theme, 32 years and Healing, is a celebration of more than three decades of remarkable international cooperation to protect the ozone layer and the climate under the Montreal Protocol.

 

It also reminds people of the need to keep up the momentum to ensure healthy people and a healthy planet. ENDS