Sustainable Solutions for Controlling Marine Pollution and Enhancing Waste Management Regulations in India

Abstract

Oceans play major role in providing essential global resources for human existence. Our planet is surrounded by 70% of water. It also produces major amounts of oxygen and plays vital role in maintaining ecological balance. It helps us to regulate climate, produce food and energy, provides foundation for world economy etc., but major of the marine pollutions were caused by humans and nonpoint source pollution i.e., runoff flows from land to sea. Land contributes 80% of pollution to marine environment. In simple terms, marine pollution is defined as a mix of debris and chemicals disposed in ocean either intentionally or by poor management of waste from land as a result of human activity. There are many different causes for marine pollutions, like oil spill, deep sea mining, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, surface runoff, marine debris, littering etc., but few of these pollutions were accidental and result of socio-economic development, involved with scientific study and research. Aside from this, man-made pollutions and surface runoff is considerably very high, they are also acting as leading component to cause threat to marine life and sea animals. Target 14.2 of Sustainable Development Goal 14 emphasizes the need for substantial efforts to enhance the resilience of coastal ecosystems and safeguard the marine environment. This involves ensuring the preservation of undisturbed ocean spaces and facilitating restoration processes to promote the health and productivity of the oceans. This will definitely help to minimize ocean acidification, overfishing, coral bleaching and also to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and its resources. Based on world economic forum study, annually 8 million tons of plastic end up in an ocean. Oceans are also polluted by pollutants like oil spill, chemical pollutants, pesticides, heavy metals and other hazardous elements. These pollutants not only cause serious health consequences like illness, reproductive issues and death to marine life and fisheries, also to human beings who consume it. Economically it affects tourism industry which is majorly dependent on clean beaches and waters. The one and only solution, which was left is, improvising on shore waste management activities. Waste management activity can be done by building infrastructures with all systems and facilities to collect, transport, process and dispose waste. Plastic pollution can be controlled by recycling it and replacing it with sustainably reusable products. Chemical and medical wastes should be treated before disposing it on oceans. Banning single use plastics will help to reduce pollution to the half. “Circular economy”, recycling and waste-to-energy conversion are the successful waste management programs implemented by many European countries and they are on track to be a zero-waste country by 2050. Developing countries must conduct programs to increase awareness among people; and governments of developing countries should take measures
to build infrastructure for performing waste management activities.