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Page 1 Barbara Oelz, Advisor Sustainable Solid Waste Management GIZ 08.09.2015 ISWA World Conference, SWEEP-Net session Regional approaches to marine littering in the MENA Region
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Barbara Oelz, Advisor Sustainable Solid Waste Management GIZ
08.09.2015 ISWA World Conference, SWEEP-Net session
Regional approaches to marine littering in the MENA Region
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Why do we care? • Worldwide 2.8 Billion people depend on fish and seafood as a
food source and 350 Million jobs are connected to oceans.
• Half of the earth’s population is living in an area inside of 150 km along the coasts – by 2020 this number is expected to rise to 75 %.
• Increasing knowledge on negative effects of Marine Litter e.g. on endangered coral reefs, plastic concentrations in coastal sediments, accumulation of micro-plastics in food chain, micro-plastics as transporting agent for toxic substances – health risks for humans!
• Economic impacts on tourism, fishing and shipping industries
ML approaches in the MENA Region 8/09/15
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Some facts and figures for the Mediterranean Sea
• New research calculated an input of app. 8.8 million tons of litter into all oceans for 2010 alone, 70-80% from land-based sources;
• UNEP estimates in a recent study (2015) a total of 731 t of plastic waste littered on the coasts of all Mediterranean countries every year;
• 100.000 marine mammals and 1 million sea birds per year die worldwide due to entanglement and ingestion of marine litter;
• Economic loss due to marine litter in fishing, shipping, and tourism industries. European Countries: estimated costs of 263 Mio EUR (incl. Atlantic Ocean, North and Baltic Sea);
• Destroyed coral reefs, destruction or smothering of seabed, changed occurrence of microorganisms or temperature in sediments impacting on reproduction of aquatic animals (fish, sea turtles etc.)
ML approaches in the MENA Region 8/09/15
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Increasing importance accorded to the topic in global processes and European policies, e.g.
• Rio+20 document: The future we want Sustainable Development Goals: Proposed SDG Goal 14.1 “By 2024, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.”
• EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive: achieve Good Environmental Status for all marine waters by 2020 http://mcc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dev.py?N=28&O=223&titre_chap=D10 Marine litter
• G7 Action Plan agreed on in June 2015 in Germany
• Mediterranean Action Plan: the 1st Regional Seas Programme under UNEP
ML approaches in the MENA Region
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Sources of marine litter
Land-based sources Sea-based sources • Public littering • Tourism activities along the
coast • Municipal landfills or waste
dumps near the coast • Improper waste management
activities, e.g. disposal into rivers / rainwater drains
• Discharge of (untreated) municipal sewage and storm water
• Fishing vessels • Merchant shipping, ferries
and cruises • Aquaculture installations • Recreational activities • Offshore platforms
Most common plastic objects found
on beaches:
Cigarette butts, plastic bottles&caps,
plastic bags, food packaging etc
ML approaches in the MENA Region 8/09/15
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Challenges for the development of solutions for land-based sources
• Transboundary character: most polluted areas are not necessarily biggest pollution sources
• Sources of pollution difficult to assign and monitor
• Problems of marine litter still not strongly recognized by local decision makers little pressure for regulatory instruments or funding
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Examples of existing initatives in the Mediterranean region
8/09/15
Research:
• Plastic Busters: Objective is to detect and monitor ML in the Mediterranean Sea with the goal of identifying and implementing prevention and mitigation solutions; Partners: University of Siena (MED-Solutions network), UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN), 2013-2015; http://unsdsn.org/what-we-do/solution-initiatives/plastic-busters-for-the-mediterranean-sea/
• Joint Programme Initiative Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans (JPI Oceans): coordinating and integrating strategic platform, open to all EU Member States and Associated Countries who invest in marine and maritime research http://jpi-oceans.eu/about Just announced: 4 new research projects to harmonize analytical methods, investigate introduction and distributions paths and assess toxicology of microplastics.
ML approaches in the MENA Region
Page 8 Unternehmenspräsentation 2012 8/09/15
Implementation:
• Horizon 2020 Initiative for the De-pollution of the Mediterranean Sea (H2020) by the European Commission: Focus on project development support, capacity building and monitoring & review, 2007-2013 & 2015-2020; http://www.h2020.net/the-h2020-initiative.html
• Clean up and awareness raising initiatives by NGOs (local, regional, international) e.g. Surfrider Foundation Europe (http://blog.surfrider.eu/ en/category/activism/), Tipaza Plongée Djerba
Examples of existing initatives in the Mediterranean region
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Examples for engaging the tourism industry
HEPCA, Egypt
• Clean-up activities in diving school
• HEPCA as NGO took over waste management in Urghada and in Red Sea Governorate including separate collection from hotels http://www.hepca.org/conservation/solid-waste/south-overview
• Sorting and material recovery centers in collaboration with Bedouin communities: channelling recyclables to further processing, using organic material as animal feed
Other examples
• Responsible Snack Bars Program (Chiringuitos Responsables, Spain): beach snack bars signing and implementing the „Decalogue of Good Environmental Practices“, combined with awards
• International tour operators (eg. TUI) demand reporting on waste production and management and give out rewards to partner hotels
ML approaches in the MENA Region 8/09/15
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Let us develop ideas!
ML approaches in the MENA Region 8/09/15
How can we substantially reduce land-based introduction of litter into the sea?
Is it only a question of political support? Of awareness raising?
With all the challenges existing in the region (economy, stability, terrorism etc.) how can support be built in each country?
Small scale approaches are good and very necessary, but let us think big as well: how can countries cooperate and start joint prevention projects?
Is improved municipal solid waste management sufficient to solve the problem?
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Idea 1:
8/09/15
Introduction of a „sustainability tax“, payable per tourist, collected by hotels and delivered to the local authority: e.g. 50 Euro-cents per night
Raise money from tourism for clean-up activities, waste infrastructure on beaches, awareness and information campaigns
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Idea 2:
8/09/15
The modell-city:
One city is chosen and supported to reach „zero-littering“ through various projects to create a best practice tool-box, documented challenges and responses, financing needs, monitoring solutions etc.
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Potential approaches for technical development cooperation
• Support municipal waste management authorities in improving collection, extending recycling, reducing wind transport from disposal sites, esp. in coastal areas and along water ways.
• Integrated awareness raising approaches for biodiversity conservation and reduction of inadequate waste disposal
• Economic incentives for use of different / less material in packaging, less plastic bags, elaboration of plastic bag bans or similar
• Cooperation with tourism sector, fishing industry or port authorities for specific measures to reduce pollution: procurement and waste management standards, fee systems, awareness raising campaigns…
• Collaborative and regulatory instruments for mobilizing poductive industries and retailers: Extended Producer Responsibility, deposit-refund systems, treatment/ recyclability standards.
• Strengthening science-politics interface for research, policy design, monitoring
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We want your input!
8/09/15
With rising international importance of the topic, it is to be expected that financing windows will open soon.
Good project ideas and stable partnerships are needed!
Thank you for your attention and your contributions to the upcoming
discussion!
ML approaches in the MENA Region
