Maldives has joined the UN Environment's global campaign to eliminate marine litter, becoming the 26th country, globally, to do so.
Maldives' pledge came at the 2nd Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities which ended in Bangkok with governments resolved to move towards a pollution free region, highlighting the urgency of addressing marine litter and micro plastics. It joins Indonesia, Kiribati and the Philippines who earlier committed to the campaign.
As part of the commitment, Maldives will undertake a national campaign to reduce single-use plastics and look to reduce and intercept plastics in oceans. The UN Environment CleanSeas campaign, which was launched in February this year, calls on government to pass policies to reduce plastics, industries to minimize plastic packaging and consumers to reduce plastic use.
Small island developing countries like Maldives are on the sharp end of the current tide of pollution, and this commitment to Clean Seas sends an important message that "enough is enough", Head of UN Environment, Erik Solheim, said. All nations, big and small, must take action, she added.
Maldives is being increasingly plagued with marine litter. Minister of State for Environment and Energy, Abdulla Ziyad stated. Pollution is indeed a critical area of concern for our region, he said. Noting that the issue needs to be addressed at national level and beyond, he said that integrated and holistic approaches at the local level, coupled with co-ordinate action at the regional and global level will be the key in making progress towards pollution free, clean seas for all.
Asia Pacific accounts for 60 to 70 percent of ocean plastic pollution. Plastics make up 90 per cent of litter in oceans. More than 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans annually and costing some 8 billion dollars in damage to marine ecosystems. According to some estimates, at the rate we are dumping items such as plastic bottles, bags and cups after a single use, by 2050 oceans will carry more plastic than fish. Small islands are particularly affected.