UAE unveils marine plastic waste monitoring programme

DUBAI / WAM

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has launched an integrated programme to monitor plastic waste in the marine and coastal environment of the country, in line with its efforts to preserve marine resources, seawater quality, and beach cleanliness within the general framework of Year of Sustainability. A series of scientific studies will be conducted as part of the programme to enhance efforts to reduce plastic waste.
The studies will use a wide range of methods to measure the quantities and sizes of plastic waste in the country’s seawater and beaches. The study aims to identify the types of plastic pollution in the country’s waters and then implement the necessary precautionary measures to ensure the safety and health of humans and marine life.
Additionally, it highlights the importance of adopting responsible consumption within society to minimise plastic waste and avoid disposing of it in seawaters and the environment in general.
Dr Mohamed Al Hammadi, Assistant Under-Secretary for Biodiversity and Marine Life Sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, said, “We continue to implement the latest global practices in environmental conservation to contribute to preserving natural resources and reduce the negative impacts of environmental pollutants on human health and living organisms. The plastic waste monitoring programme in the UAE’s marine environment represents one of our most prominent initiatives aimed at monitoring this type of waste and taking a number of measures to limit these pollutants in all the country’s waters and beaches.”
Al Hammadi added, “The programme contributes to the United Arab Emirate’s achieving the 14th Sustainable Development Goal set by the United Nations, which aims to conserve the oceans, seas, and marine resources and use them sustainably for achieving sustainable development. Through the programme, we also seek to raise community awareness about the impact of plastic waste on the marine environment, which reflects on the life of marine organisms and threatens fishery resources and human health. This drives us to guide partners and all members of society towards responsible consumption of plastic products and their safe disposal rather than in the environment. The upcoming period will witness work on the programme and showcase its results as soon as possible.”
As part of the programme to monitor plastic pollution in the country’s water and beaches, a team from the Marine Environment Research Centre affiliated with the Ministry carried out a study to monitor plastic waste in the marine and coastal environments of the UAE.