LEBANON, 14 JULY – Major General Stefano del Col, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, handed out annual environmental awards to seven Mission entities for initiating and implementing innovative projects to preserve environment.
UNIFIL’s Indian Battalion was adjudged first for a project seeking to increase awareness and decrease waste generation by planting seedlings in their positions and areas of responsibility, preventing littering, reusing plastic bottles, building green houses and building compost pits.
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The Mission’s Sector West Headquarters and Irish-Polish Battalion shared the second-placed award. The Sector West Infrastructure Management Centre (IMC) project aimed at turning food waste into compost and donating to the host communities. The IMC mechanical organic composting machine has the capacity to produce 20 tons of compost every day.
IRISHPOLBATT project supported host communities by reducing environmental hazards within their area of responsibility.
Other UNIFIL units receiving awards and recognitions were French-led Force Commander’s Reserve, Indonesian Battalion, Republic of Korea Battalion and Italian Battalion.
UNIFIL had launched ”Annual Environment Awards” on 4 December 2019 in recognition of environmental achievements within the Mission’s area of operations.
The awards commend individuals, UN positions, branches, contingents, sections, units that have demonstrated leadership, innovation or exceptional activities in protecting or enhancing the state of environment.