The day of sports, an event within the European Week of Sport, and the launch of the Climate Village as one of the events within the Climate Diplomacy Week, brought together a number of citizens at Ada Ciganlija in Belgrade.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Olympic Committee of Serbia, with support from the EU Delegation to Serbia and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, took upon themselves the organisation of various sporting and educational activities in order to encourage citizens to engage in physical activity and adopt healthy lifestyles as well to warn against adverse effects of the climate change.
“Sports should be the choice of each and every one of us. Today, when we celebrate the World Heart Day, we seek to send the message about the importance of engaging in physical activity in order to lead a healthier lifestyle and make our society healthier as a whole,” said the Minister of Sports and Youth Vanja Udovicic.
The Climate Village engaged children in numerous activities aimed at understanding the effects of climate change on everyday life and our potential contribution to lessening and slowing them down and, ultimately, adapting to them.
The Climate Village featured a climate bicycle ride around the lake, an educational tour dedicated to learning more about the biodiversity. The participants had a chance to take part in birdwatching and learn more about local flora and fauna. Apart from the bicycle ride, the participants also had a chance to see movies and take part in numerous sports and cultural activities.
Several organisations showcased their activities and projects in the area of environmental protection. Visitors of the GIZ tent engaged in a guided tour “The past, the present and the future of Palic and Ludas Lakes,” visited the biomass logistic and trade centre using VR goggles and took samples of wood biomass.
Some learned more about the climate-related waste management, while the most diligent of them took part in biodiversity tours around Ada Ciganlija and were brought closer to flora and fauna of the Lake and of the urban jungle of the Serbian capital. The projects showcased at the GIZ tent are implemented by GIZ itself and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The Minister of Environment Goran Trivan also took part in the bicycle ride around Ada Ciganlija in order to encourage people to consider alternative ways of getting around with a view to promoting health of both the people themselves and the environment.
“The number of bicycle paths in both Belgrade and Serbia is growing. We are becoming more and more aware of the environment,” said Trivan and added that Serbia is ready to work towards GHG emission reduction in its EU talks.
Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Mateja Norcic Stamcar said that the region of East Europe will among the most affected, adding that in future it can expect droughts that will harm agriculture.
“Everyone living here should therefore be worried and work together. Today, during the bicycle ride around Ada on the occasion of the European Week of Sport, we showed our commitment to climate action. We are fusing together the concepts of environmental protection and healthy lifestyle,” Norcic Stamcar said.
The EU, as she put it, will continue to work together with Serbia and other partners to develop ecologically sustainable policies and circular economy that will bring benefits to all.
