The WaRM Cluster supports countries in the region with tools, policy, and non-policy measures to monitor and address marine litter challenges. We co-develop tools and frameworks for monitoring and assessment of marine litter, identify and share best practices, contribute to bridging knowledge gaps, and developing communities of practice in tackling marine litter issues.
UNEP defines marine litter is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Litters found in marine environment typically consists of items directly or indirectly deposited into the sea by human activities, rivers, sewage, storm water or winds; or accidentally lost, including material lost at sea in bad weather.
Marine litter comes from many sources and causes a wide spectrum of impacts including damages to ecosystems, economics dependent on marine resources. Litters found in marine environment typically consists of items directly or indirectly deposited into the sea by human activities, rivers, sewage, storm water or winds; or accidentally lost, including material lost at sea in bad weather.
The slow rate of degradation of most marine litter items, mainly plastics, together with increasing influx of litter and debris dumped into the sea is leading to a gradual increase in marine litter found at sea and on the shores. More than 8 million metric tons of plastics pour into the ocean. Social consumption patterns and littering behaviours, and the general impact of unplanned tourism and fishing industries has contributed to staggering plastics littering of the oceans over the last decades. In fact plastics can be found in sea surface, water column, coastlines, seafloor, sea ice and biota.
Poor waste management systems and infrastructure, insufficient monitoring, and law enforcement to establish sustainable waste management practices and technical challenges, and low market demand for secondary plastics are challenges to managing plastic in the region.
We conduct baseline studies and support countries develop frameworks and tools for monitoring & assessment of plastic flows and leakages and design countermeasures, and practices to limit plastic leakage to water environment. We build capacities through providing specialties training programmes to equip countries to address marine litter challenges.