NEW DELHI: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has said, “The mantra of 3R – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- is at the heart of any vision towards the sustainable development of mankind. All stakeholders –producers, consumers and the State alike must adhere to this golden principle which can contribute significantly in solving the twin challenges of waste management as well as the sustainable development”.
The prime minister’s message was to participants of the Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific, held in Indore from 9 to 12 April 2018. The theme of the event is “Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency – A 21st Century Vision for Asia-Pacific Communities”.
The forum was started on 9th April with a pre-event ceremony welcoming more than 500 delegates from across India and the world. On April 10th,2018 the event was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep S. Puri. Japan’s environment minister Tadahiko Ito was also present at the event.
The Eighth Regional 3R Forum saw the participation of around 40 mayors of cities around the world and mayors of more than 100 cities across India. The highlight of the event will be a series of sessions with mayors focusing on sustainable urban development and forging of inter-municipal partnerships and cooperation at the national and international level.
The main aim behind this forum was to address how 3R and resource efficiency measures can provide complementary benefits in making cities and countries clean, smart, liveable and resilient. The Forum also aims to generate policy-level, institutional level and technological insights towards effective implementation of 3R and resource efficiency to foster circular economic development, sustainable change in current use of natural resources and ultimately achieve a zero-waste society.
Apart from a series of plenary sessions to be spread over three days, the Forum also hosted the International 3R Exhibition and various technical cum cultural field visits for its delegates. On April 12 the Forum will also recognise and reward industries and civil society organisations carrying out exceptional work in the area of 3R for waste management through the 3R Awards.