Japan and the United Nations Environment Programme announced they will join hands in an effort to boost information and know-how to develop countermeasures against marine plastic litter in Southeast Asia and India.
The new initiative, Promotion of countermeasures against marine plastic litter in Southeast Asia and India, will develop a simulation model for plastic leakage and monitor to determine leakage hotspots along the Ganges and Mekong rivers. Additionally, in India, provincial and local governments in Mumbai, Agra, and selected cities along the Ganges will receive support to stop plastic pollution.
The Government of Japan has earmarked 123 million Japanese yen – over US$1,100,000 – to support the initiative starting March 2019, which are implemented by the UN Environment Programme Asia and the Pacific Office based in Bangkok, Thailand.
“The scale of plastic pollution is a major problem affecting our oceans and our planet. With this initiative, we’re taking important steps to tackle the problem at its source rather than downstream,” said Dechen Tsering, Regional Director for UN Environment Programme in Asia and the Pacific. “This is an important opportunity for Asian countries to improve knowledge on marine plastic litter. By addressing the problem here, we can make great strides toward a planet free of plastic pollution. We are thrilled to have the support of the Government of Japan to confront this challenge.”
In recent years, global attention on marine litter and plastic pollution has surged. However, scientific knowledge on marine plastic litter and effective countermeasures remains insufficient.
Original source: UN Environment
Published on 04 March 2019
