Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with profound implications for ecosystems, economies, and societies worldwide. Nowhere is this more evident than in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where the convergence of factors such as limited land availability, fragile ecosystems, and heavy reliance on marine resources exacerbates the impacts of plastic pollution. However, amidst these challenges lie opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development. Tides of Change: Mitigating Plastic Pollution in Small Island Developing States seeks to inform, inspire, and empower readers to join the global effort to combat plastic pollution and safeguard the world's oceans for future generations.
To effectively deliver sustainable management in practice for Africa, we need responsible leadership. We need to deepen our understanding of sustainability in the unique socio-political and economic context of the continent. The roles of various actors across public, private and non-profit sectors as enablers of sustainable development need to be explored to understand the social, economic and environmental (SEE) trends in Africa and its emerging and developing economies, as well as to chart the way forward for the continent. This third volume focuses on education as a tool to build a sustainable Africa. It explores the use of pedagogical approaches, learning resources, and policy implementation to develop African leaders and managers with a sustainability mindset that feeds into leadership decision-making, systemic change management, and efficient and sustainable transfers of knowledge and practice. The case stories from various academic institutions present practicable and innovative ideas for educating those who will lead sustainable development for Africa’s future. The African scope of the book is hinged on collaboration from authors across Africa and the inclusion of case stories from emerging economies in the five African subregions (East, West, North, Central and Southern Africa) within the chapters. The core message is that, to achieve effective and sustainable management and development for Africa, the practice of responsible leadership is critical.
Marine litter is an ecological, economic, health and aesthetic problem. it is a complex and multi-dimensional challenge with significant implications For The marine and coastal environment, and human activities all over the world. The persistence of marine litter is the result of a lack of coordinated global and regional strategies, and deficiencies in the implementation and enforcement of existing programmes, regulations and standards at all levels - international, regional and national. The UNEP Global Initiative on Marine Litter provides a platform For The management of marine litter through the establishment of partnerships, cooperative arrangements and coordination of joint activities. it has succeeded in organizing and implementing regional activities on marine litter around the world. In addition to activities in 12 Regional Seas, UNEP commissioned preparation of several documents on specific topics, including UNEP/IOC Guidelines for monitoring of marine litter; Abandoned and lost fishing gear; and Marine litter and market-based instruments. This report provides an overview of the status of marine litter in UNEP's assisted Regional Seas, and highlights the amounts, main sources, impacts, and economics of marine litter, and discusses legislation, policies, compliance and enforcement mechanisms; institutional frameworks and stakeholder involvement; education and outreach strategies; monitoring programmes and research; mitigation activities among other aspects. it concludes that there is an urgent need to approach the issue of marine litter through better enforcement of laws and regulations, expanded outreach and educational campaigns And The employment of strong economic instruments and incentives. it proposes some general recommendations, based on the materials presented in the document, and specific recommendations for fourteen different issues regarding marine litter.
The objective of this guide is to raise awareness about the oceans' crucial importance to us and to the planet, and the growing threats posed by plastics discharged into and accumulating in the oceans. The guide outlines the key problems and challenges and how these can be addressed. The guide is promoting circular solutions to the ocean plastic pollution, and intends to inspire impactful action and change.
This book describes how man-made litter, primarily plastic, has spread into the remotest parts of the oceans and covers all aspects of this pollution problem from the impacts on wildlife and human health to socio-economic and political issues. Marine litter is a prime threat to marine wildlife, habitats and food webs worldwide. The book illustrates how advanced technologies from deep-sea research, microbiology and mathematic modelling as well as classic beach litter counts by volunteers contributed to the broad awareness of marine litter as a problem of global significance. The authors summarise more than five decades of marine litter research, which receives growing attention after the recent discovery of great oceanic garbage patches and the ubiquity of microscopic plastic particles in marine organisms and habitats. In 16 chapters, authors from all over the world have created a universal view on the diverse field of marine litter pollution, the biological impacts, dedicated research activities, and the various national and international legislative efforts to combat this environmental problem. They recommend future research directions necessary for a comprehensive understanding of this environmental issue and the development of efficient management strategies. This book addresses scientists, and it provides a solid knowledge base for policy makers, NGOs, and the broader public.
This report indicates that climate change will significantly affect the availability and trade of fish products, especially for those countries most dependent on the sector, and calls for effective adaptation and mitigation actions encompassing food production.
Despite the global endorsement of the Sustainable Development Goals, environmental justice struggles are growing all over the world. These struggles are not isolated injustices, but symptoms of interlocking forms of oppression that privilege the few while inflicting misery on the many and threatening ecological collapse. This handbook offers critical perspectives on the multi-dimensional, intersectional nature of environmental injustice and the cross-cutting forms of oppression that unite and divide these struggles, including gender, race, poverty, and indigeneity. The work sheds new light on the often-neglected social dimension of sustainability and its relationship to human rights and environmental justice. Using a variety of legal frameworks and case studies from around the world, this volume illustrates the importance of overcoming the fragmentation of these legal frameworks and social movements in order to develop holistic solutions that promote justice and protect the planet's ecosystems at a time of intensifying economic and ecological crisis.
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