By Shalini Dhyani on 5 June 2018.
When I am writing this message to all of you there, as members of IUCN CEM S. Asia region and others who are non-members I know we all are aware of the crisis caused by proliferation of plastics in the South Asia region. From our snow clad higher Himalayan mountains in the north to deep blue oceans in the south; to mangroves and forests; and especially in our growing urban areas — the plastics have made their presence strongly felt. Most importantly, single use plastics found in the form of straws, ear buds and other products that are not reused or recycled is damaging our ecosystems. Damage to our ecosystems is also reducing the flow of ecosystem services to our growing population. The chocked drains of the cities for instance, have increasingly led to floods and water-logged situations in our settlements. The situation is getting worse with every passing year.
The risk of disasters is now no more restricted to natural disasters. We have done enough to invite and accelerate the pace of man made disasters as well. The idea is to be aware and make others aware of the situation. If you have solutions please share and promote these solutions through children, youth and the adult population all the same. Solutions are tough to be implemented but certainly not impossible. Small acts of today like — switching from plastic bottles to metal bottles; from plastic straws to carry-able metal glass and metal straw; and even carrying your own cloth bags —-can lead to a significant change in future. Being part of Himalayan Clean-Up drive last month I realised how plastics can be stored in small space of land that might not only lead to foul smell, diseases but also long lasting impact on biodiversity and ecosystems.
I will not urge you to go out today and plant saplings because I think we can’t restrict our acts of sensibility to only one day alone. Let every day of your life be more responsible, aware, alert and sustainable. Let us try, if not surely to implement Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to the challenges of environmental damage we see everyday around us.
I will be sharing some of the stories of plastic recycle champions who are trying to recycle plastics, study on micro plastics and making our planet a better place to live. Here are stories from one of the Indian Science R&D organization whose scientists have developed protocol and method to convert plastics into fuel as well as aromatics. Read more here.
We have other champion from India Dr. Mahua Saha who has been working on micro-plastics for last one decade now and presently her focus has been west coast of India. Read about her work here.
The champions of recycle and reuse conservation are all around us. They are not only scientists sitting in high end laboratories — they are also the rag pickers reducing our waste-management loads; the junk dealer helping in the recycling process; the on-site workers who are addressing the emerging risks at landfill sites. Those who have visited these sites even briefly will understand that while to many the foul smell is unbearable, many others have decided to take up the arduous task of addressing the issues of pollution and at the same time, making it their livelihoods.
SO BE A PART OF THE MOVEMENT. SAY NO PLASTICS. SAY YES TO SUSTAINABILITY.
Shalini Dhyani, Ph.D., is South Asia Chair of IUCN Commission on Ecosystem.
Dr Dhyani is Scientist with Critical Zone Group of Water Technology and Management Division of CSIR-NEERI, India. She is Lead Author for IPBES for regional assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Asia Pacific (2015-2018) and also expert member of UNEP-Partnerships for Ecosystems and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR) and UNDP BES-Net (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network).