The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission vows to rehabilitate Pasig River in an effort to contribute to the worldwide movement of environmental conservation. This statement follows after the news of the Amazon forest fire. PRRC issued the following statement:
The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) is extremely saddened by the news of forest fires currently ravaging the Amazon rainforest—our planet’s last lungs.
It is clear that this is a wake-up call. It is not just the Amazon at stake, but our very survival. The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical rainforest, producing about 20% of the oxygen that all life on Earth need in order to live. Aside from providing us the air we breathe, rainforests also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help regulate the climate in order to curb global warming and its adverse effects.
The Amazon has been burning for weeks and the number of fires this 2019 is the highest on record since 2013. 80,626 forest fires have been recorded in Brazil this year—more than half of which are in the Amazon basin. The scale of deforestation in the Amazon has been relentless, with an increase of more than 60% in June compared to last year—equivalent to 750 square miles of land or one and a half soccer fields being wiped off the face of the Earth every minute of every day. This massive destruction poses a serious threat to biodiversity, as around 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, 430 mammals, and 2.5 million different insects are found in the Amazon. The Amazon River, which runs through the Amazon rainforest, sustains the life of 3,000 types of fish. Most importantly, 305 indigenous tribes or over 900,000 people call the Amazon their home.
As an agency committed to safeguard the environment, the PRRC vows to continuously conduct rehabilitation efforts for the Pasig River and its environs, as the general welfare of the people is our prime concern. Thus, we call upon everyone to help save and protect the environment to prevent catastrophes such as the Amazon fires, and ultimately, to be active citizens and keepers of the Earth for future generations.
What do you think of PRRC’s statement? Share your thoughts in the comments!
