The Big Picture - Tackling Ocean Pollution

he Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region was adopted by leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes four of the world’s top polluters. ASEAN members Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, along with worst offender China, throw the most plastic waste into oceans, according to a 2015 report co-authored by environmental campaigner Ocean Conservancy. The declaration was commended by environmentalists as a good first step for the region, though doubts remained that implementation will be a challenge because the group has a code of non-interference that would leave necessary policymaking in the hands of individual member countries. Neither the declaration nor its accompanying Framework of Action specifically mention bans on single-use plastic or imports of foreign waste, as environmental groups previously demanded ahead of the summit. The declaration came ahead of this week's G20 summit in Japan, which assembles 20 major economies and will also aim to tackle marine plastic pollution. On this edition of the big picture we will analyse how to tackle ocean pollution.

Guest - Sheel Kant Sharma, Former Ambassador,
Syamal Kumar Sarkar, Senior Director, Natural Resource & Climate, The Energy And Resources Institute,
Jyoti Parikh, Excutive Director, Integrated Research and Action for Development,
Simran Sodhi, Foreign Affairs Journalist,

Anchor - Frank Rausan Pereira

[shashiketan]

The Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region was adopted by leaders of the 10-member ASEAN.

Ocean pollution Concerns:
- Enormous 4-12 mn metric ton goes into sea .
- India 62 mn tons of waste every yr - 10-12% plastic & single use plastic
- Unprocessed plastic goes into the sea which is non biodegradable.
- ASEAN members Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, along with worst offender China, throw the most plastic waste into oceans, according to a 2015 report.
- Plastic production expected to double to 600 mn ton

Cause of Ocean Pollution:
- 80% of land discharge goes into sea
- industrial activities.
- Pollution from Ship - Oil spill.
- Increases in consumption process - mining, food order business - New uses of plastic growing.
- Use of microbeads - directly affect the marine species.

Steps taken:
- Mostly convention for reducing ship pollution - MARPOL & UNCLOS
- India & France - International Solar Alliance: even Saudi Arab onboard.
- France banned the use of plastic cutlery.

Way forward:
- Individual countries must take action & set quantitative targets compelled by groupings like G20, ASEAN.
- Cultural Change - People's participation & awareness - Use less or no plastic bottles.
Reducing the consumption reduces waste.
- Common treatment plant for industrial discharge.
Only 20% of the 80% collected municipal waste is treated.

- Incentivize the collection of plastic & single use plastic by rag pickers for recycling.
- Extended producers responsibility - Post consumption outcome should be on producers.
Taxing based on waste produces.
- Technology - Submarine vehicles removing plastic.
- Substitute plastics with biodegradable material

The Ocean pollution is a menace & regulatory, lifestyle changes & technological approaches is needed to tackle ocean pollution & achieve SDG -14 (preventing marine pollution & debris)

[rishabhbansal]

Tackling Ocean Pollution
Key Highlights :-
- Recently ASEAN countries at "Bangkok Deceleration" have decided to tackle the Ocean Pollution.
- This step was taken to curb the menace of plastic pollution in ocean water and countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and other contribute major quantity of plastic in ocean.
- This step is commended by the environmentalist but the major concern lies with the implementation of it.
- Around 4-12 million metric tons of plastic are dumped in sea every year.
- India produces 62 million tons of plastic out of which 12% are single use plastic.
- For the ASEAN countries this is the first declaration for the protection of environment before that only "MARPOL" convention existed which mainly deals with the ships.
- This is an irreplaceable damange since collecting the waste again back from the ocean will cost very much.

What can be done?
- People involvement in required at large scale to stop this.
- 3 R's :- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle model should be followed.
- This declaration is the commitment of high delegation and they should ensure that they take the required steps.
- Plastic use should be ruled out. Im case of Delhi use of plastic bags is banned by the government.
- This particular thing should not just be the table talk. People should understand their responsibility.
- Government should work on real facts and figures to show their progress in curbing this.
- EPR - Extended Producer's Responsibility which means that the producer should be responsible for the production of plastic. It should ensure that it is treated and dumped properly.
- Holistic approach to be followed means a quantitative target should be set by the government for the reduction in consumption.

Global Response :-
- ASEAN countries main habitat is consumption of marine animals. If they pollution level increases in water then more marine species will be pollute which will overall affect the food chain.
- USA been such an advanced nation has not taken any significant step to curb this menace. President Trump also regarded this climate change as a hoax.
- If the USA shares its technology advancements with other smaller nations this would help a lot.

Way Forward :-
- Start treating the waste from the lowest level to achieve the greatest.
- Change should not only start with individual but also industries should change their rules of waste management and treatment.
- Government can enact various laws to achieve the goal.
- International Solar Alliance an initiative by the India government which focus on renewable energy is a great initiative to bring down the pollution level.
- Sustainable development goal number 14 also lay emphasis on the reducing the marine pollution amd nations should abide by such a goal.
- The motto of people should, " Together We can and We will."

[RameshKumaralteram]

* SDG talks about prevention of marine debris, marine and nutrient pollution which needs to be achieved by 2030.
Bangkok Declaration:

* Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region was adopted by ASEAN countries (source of >60% of marine pollution), which includes four of the world’s top polluters, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, along with worst offender China, throw the most plastic waste into oceans.
* Implementation will be a challenge - the group has a code of non-interference which leave necessary policymaking to individual members.
* Doesn't specifically mention bans on single-use plastic or imports of foreign waste.

Challenges:

* Ragpickers don’t have any incentive for picking single use plastic - Pblm in recycling and reprocessing it.
* Collection of ocean waste is expensive.
* New usage of plastic adding more menace.
* 80% of the collected Municipal waste are untreated which drain and degrade land and marine resources.

Land based pollution:

* 80% of the land discharge goes into sea as plastic waste.
* Untreated industrial effluents drained into ocean via rivers and pipelines - High tax and penalty need to be levied for being non-compliant.

Ship pollution:

* Oil spilling
* Ballast water discharge by ships typically contains a variety of biological materials including viruses, and bacteria.
* These materials often include non-native, nuisance, exotic species that can cause extensive ecological and economic damage to aquatic ecosystems + human health issues.
* Micro-beads accumulation and magnification on marine food chain.

Global and India’s response:

* Convention for reducing ship pollution
* MARPOL pollution (India is not a signatory due to our ship wrecking activities)
* UNCLOS convention.
* India & France - International Solar Alliance.
* France banned the use of plastic cutlery.
* Many States including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra have banned plastic bags and single-use plastics.
* Centre’s new mission “Nal se Jal” (Water from the tap) would aim to provide piped drinking water to every rural home by 2024 will address the menace of bottled water usage and its pollution.

Way forward:

* Wholistic approach - Use of technology, policy & regulatory measures, community participation and lifestyle changes must together work to tackle the menace.
* Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) - Producer should be made responsible for wastage and treating of the same.
* Overhauling of entire value chain and production process to reduce waste.
* Necessity to develop tools and ocean vehicles which can clean-up ocean floors.
* Replacement of plastic with bio-degradable material such as cloth bags and paper cups.
* 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle model should be followed -> reduce further accumulation.

[aguilar]

If the size of LAYS cover reduced it will help in removing half of world plastic waste....and of course saves some air tooo😂😂😂😂

[kohisan]

@3:15 that's what we call NON biodegradable, not BIODEGRADABLE!! 😑

[pankajPrajapati-vhde]

Heared simron sodhi's views on AIR show .THANKS FOR INVITING HER ON THE BIG PICTURE.

Simran Sodhi is good information.... thank u...

[ojorecu]

Sir why now big picture not coming it is a great way to understand diverse perspective on one topic
Sir these type of debate is very beneficial in one's life sir plz Make More Vedios and enrich the thought of youth and all citizens

[kaminimishra]

The main concern is that the govt.is making such plans to reduce the use of plastic but what about them i.e the govt. itself as we can see that in each and every meeting there are" plastic water bottles "are put on there table !!

[revolutionarythoughts]

Government make conventions, world institutions make laws, goal and targets but,
Major concern is that,
1) the population who use that actually they're not aware about the pollution severity of that, so we need to invest first on awareness.
2) EPR Is big step but it required to be strict action to follow that .
3) Incentive to traditional handicrafts industry that i )make organic bags alternative to plastic,
Rather than glass which is water consuming process.
ii ) Wooden or metal bottle for plastic bottles.
iii) strict law and fine for tourist use bottles at Beaches to returned after use either is from plastic or glass.
So all efforts of government NGO and international institutions are give results.
Last one
Until today we are polluted ocean, cause ocean ecosystems problem to living creatures but if talk about correct it through collecting it from ocean it hurt more to all ocean rather than stay there.
And stop all as much as possible to use single use plastic because we never completed our day without plastic material.
If any one read, must try to follow as you possible to avoid use plastic and not just read and forget.

[StudyShala]

Very good debate on a very important topic.

[Vineeth_Lifestyle]

Mains students debate not worth the time . Dont watch

[donbuddha]

Well yet another declaration named after Bangkok

[akhix]

AT 10.30 WHEN BUDHAU WAS GIVING CURSE WALA GYAN WHAT WAS THE THING ALONG WITH GLASS OF WATER IN BACKGROUND....LOL

[mahendrasj]

sir plzz The big picture ka hindi version bhi lekar aaiye

[priteshpritam]

Only simran sodhi elabrote nicely & others are not worthing on the ground

[akashjindalakashjindal]

No one is discussing anything sensible. Just saying yes this is a big problem. We know its a big problem. Discuss the way forward, scientific approaches to solve the problem.. bas bakchodi karo.. good.. I will never these get 30 mins of my life back.

[akangjungshilawalling]

Sir clean shAve look good on you .not with beards 😐