International Day for Biological Diversity: ‘We are part of the solution’

Celebrated on 22 May, this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity’s theme is ‘We are part of the solution’, and it is an opportunity to recall how biodiversity is the answer to several sustainable development challenges.

CHALLENGE IN AFRICA 

Africa: its fauna and flora. Living organisms in Africa represent nearly a quarter of the world's biodiversity. This wealth provides essential ecosystem services fostering the continent's economic growth and mitigating climate change. 
Africa: its demographic growth and rapid urbanisation is having devastating effects on the ecosystem, resulting in deforestation, desertification, the creation of human habitats in unconventional areas, and the release of products used in heavy industries in the marine environment. 
How can these striking contrasts be reconciled? How can human well-being and sustainable development be reconciled?

 

OUR SOLUTIONS

Conservation measures are needed to protect biodiversity and defend endangered species and their habitats. For Veolia, this is a key issue, present in the group's environmental performance. The solutions proposed act on two levels: to reduce the damage caused by activity on land, air, and water and to promote the creation of favourable conditions for the conservation of ecosystems and species. 
Our teams support the regions in which we operate in this regard. They help our customers to reduce the impact of their activities on nature as well as to create favourable conditions to conserve and restore species and their habitats. 
 

 

Clean up Morocco’s coast 

Located near the Tangier marina is one of the largest wastewater pre-treatment plants in Morocco. At the cutting edge of processes, this facility treats releases from the city on the Strait of Gibraltar, representing over 120,000 m3/day, before discharging the pre-treated releases into the sea via an end-of-pipe 2.2 km from the shore. The structure is designed to pre-treat 218,000 m3 of wastewater per day by 2027, with the aim of supporting the development of the city and its region over the long term.

Veolia, through its subsidiary Amendis, also participates, each year, in the ‘clean beaches’ operation organised by the Mohammed VI Foundation for the conservation of the environment in Tangier. The results are there as shown by Ba Kacem beach which has been awarded the ‘Blue Flag’ label for seven consecutive years. Likewise, Redal is striving to improve the quality of the beaches and coastline in Skrirat under the programme for the overall clean-up of the coast and the improvement of the population’s quality of life. 
 

Guaranteeing environmentally friendly industrial water treatment in Ghana

In Ghana, through our subsidiary Veolia Ghana Limited created in 2014 and in partnership with AngloGold Ashanti, we operate and maintain the plant treating water from the Iduapriem and Obuasi mines.  Essential to the mining industry, water is used in various activities, such as ore processing, dust removal, sludge transport, and the needs of personnel. In a tropical climate subject to heavy seasonal rainfall and extreme temperature variations, alternating dry and rainy seasons, Veolia manages wastewater and mine process residues in Ghana in order to comply with the local environmental protection agency’s requirement in terms of releases into the ecosystem.