India and Clean Sea Campaign

  • July 23, 2022
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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India and Clean Sea Campaign

Subject : Environment

Section: Pollution

  • India is committed to protecting at least 30% of “our” lands, waters, and oceans by 2030, as part of its 30X30 commitment.
  • India is part of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which was initiated at the “One Planet Summit” in Paris in January 2021, to promote an international agreement to protect at least 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.
  • India also offered to provide science and innovation-based solutions for the implementation of SDG-Goal 14 through partnerships and environmentally-friendly solutions at the World Ocean Summit. Goal 14 calls for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

Clean Seas Campaign

  • Launched in 2017, the Clean Seas campaign engages governments, the general public, civil society and the private sector to strengthen effective action plans on marine litter and plastic pollution. Currently, 63 countries are Clean Seas signatories.
  • Clean Seas 2.0 initial focus on single-use plastics and their elimination, communicating the root causes associated with the production, use and disposal of unnecessary, avoidable and problematic plastics thereby following an evidence-based approach.
  • Its topic areas will cover a range of products, including packaging, ghost fishing gear, tyres and textiles.
  • 0 leverages two key river-focussed UNEP projects: Counter MEASURE and Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative.
  • The “Counter MEASURE”uses cutting-edge technology to identify the source of plastic pollution in river systems in Asia – primarily the Ganges and Mekong. Through a combination of citizen science, drone imaging, machine learning and geographic analyses, the project collects data and identifies plastic waste hotspots and shares it with partner organizations and governments across the region.
  • Citizen science is a critical aspect of the “Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative” also led by UNEP in partnership with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative and the University of Georgia.
  • UNEP and the Ellen Mc Arthur Foundation also co-lead the Global Commitment, which has established a common vision of a circular economy for plastics by 2025.
  • Through the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, UNEP is developing a Digital Platform to bring together and connect actors and information to catalyse action before plastic pollution ends up in the ocean.

“Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar”

  • Globally, “International Coastal Clean Up Day” is celebrated on the third Saturday of September, every year.
  • This year on 17th September 2022, the Government of India along with other voluntary organizations, and the local society will run a cleanliness campaign “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” along India’s entire coastline.
  • This campaign will include Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Indian Coast Guard, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) along with other social organizations and educational institutions.
  • This campaign will see massive public participation both physically and virtually, mainly to make awareness about reducing the marine litter, minimal use of plastics, segregation at source and waste management.
  • it will be the first-of-its-kind and longest running coastal clean-up campaign in the world with highest number of people participating in it. The participation of common man will convey the message of “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” for the prosperity of not only coastal areas but also other parts of the country.\
  • This year’s event also coincides with the celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in 75thyear of the country’s independence; The coastal clean-up drive will be carried out at 75 beaches across the country. A 75 days long campaign will be launched from 03rdJuly 2022 to raise awareness about “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” culminating on “International Coastal Cleanup Day” on 17thSeptember 2022.

A mobile app “Eco Mitram” has been launched to spread awareness about the campaign and also for the common people for voluntary registration for the beach cleaning activity on the 17thSeptember 2022.

Through this campaign, a mass behavioural change among the masses is intended by raising awareness about how plastic usage is destroying our marine life

Important Initiatives undertaken by UNEP so far:

  1. Regional Seas Programme, 1974
  2. Clean up the world Campaign, 1993
  3. TUNZA, 2003
  4. Billion Tree Campaign, 2006
  5. Faith for Earth Initiative, 2008
  6. World Environment Day (June 5th)
  7. Not all animals migrate by choice campaign, 2019
Environment India and Clean Sea Campaign