All of you are the ambassadors of the environmental cause - with these words the Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova addressed the attendees in the South Park in the capital city of Sofia for today’s celebration - June 5, the World Environment Day. She also congratulated her colleagues, thanking them for believing in the cause and for making environmental thinking a way of life.

The celebration was held within the annual information event of Operational Programme “Environment 2014-2020”. Minister Karamfilova reminded that it is important what we do with the programme funds and how we use the benefits after the implementation of the funded projects - for a cleaner environment, cleaner water, and better air quality.

“Some of you would say that we still have a lot of work to do. Yes, we do, but if you are here, then we have a future - because you are the future. Children, be the ones to teach us to live in a cleaner environment and to scold us when we dispose of waste improperly,” said Rositsa Karamfilova.

The motto of this year’s Environment Day is to tackle plastic waste pollution and it is up to each one of us. “If everyone throws away their bottle where they should, I am convinced that tomorrow will be more beautiful,” assured the minister.

“We have invested over 3 billion leva in over 381 green and environmental infrastructure projects across Bulgaria. With this money we built water treatment plants, water supply and sewage networks. We provided new buses, trolleybuses, and trams.  Our projects protect habitats, plant and animal species,” said Galina Simeonova, Head of the Managing Authority of Operational Programme “Environment 2014-2020”.

This is the beginning of the art-project of the Operational Programme Environment – “Inhabitants: in search of a better environment”. “The Inhabitants” are extraordinary sculptures, neither human nor animal, but a combination of both. They know where it is most pleasant and clean to live, because they have toured the successful projects built with funds from Operational Programme Environment. The exhibition with photos and “the Inhabitants” will visit 6 cities in Bulgaria - Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Burgas, Varna, and Ruse, where people will be able to get acquainted with the significant projects being implemented in their city.