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www.unep.org United Nations Environment Programme P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi 00100, Kenya Tel: +254-(0)20-762 1234 Fax: +254-(0)20-762 3927 Email: [email protected] web: www.unep.org Marine litter in the Eastern Africa Region Marine litter in the Eastern Africa Region Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment in the Eastern African Region (Nairobi Convention) Division of Environmental Policy Implementation United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: [+ 254] 20 762 2025 Fax: [+ 254] 20 762 3203 Email: [email protected] ISBN: 78-92-807-3043-2 Website: www.unep.org/NairobiConvention/ Job Number DEP/1194/NA UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME Marine Litter in the Eastern Africa Region: An Overview Assessment UNEP Marine Litter in the Eastern Africa Region: An Overview Assessment Acknowledgements: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) gratefully acknowledges the financial contribution of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Government of Norway, which enabled the Nairobi Convention Secretariat/Regional Seas Programme to undertake this research and publish this report, under the programme UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB project entitled “Addressing Land- based Activities in the WIO Region.” UNEP thanks the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) Executive Secretary, Dr. Julius Francis, for coordinating the research, and Ms Sue Lane for compiling and writing the report. The contributions of national experts, S. Ahamada, J. Ochiewo, H. Rasolofojaona, J. Seewoobaduth, M. Pereira, C. Gonzalves, P. Ryan, and L. Lukambuzi, on which this report is based, are acknowledged. © United Nations Environment Programme 2008 Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of the materials in this document do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status of any State, Territory, city or area, or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of their frontiers or boundaries. The document contains the views expressed by the author(s) acting in their individual capacity and may not necessarily reflect the views of UNEP. The Nairobi Convention Secretariat/Regional Seas Programme does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any consequences of their use. Copyright notice: This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational and non-profit This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational and non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided that acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this material, or part thereof, as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purposes whatsoever without the prior permission in writing of UNEP. For Additional information please contact Nairobi Convention Secretariat Western Indian Ocean Marine UNEP Regional Seas Programme Science Association (WIOMSA) P. O. Box 47074 Gigiri P. O. Box 3298 Nairobi, Kenya Zanzibar, Tanzania Tel: + 254 (020) 7621250 Tel: + 255 24 223 4597 Fax: + 254 (020) 7623203/4618/4300 Fax: + 255 24 223 3852 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] www.wiolab.org www.wiomsa.org Technical editors: Johnson U. Kitheka and Peter Scheren, UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Manuscript and production editor, design and layout: Daisy Ouya, ELS Cover design: Nikki Meith and Angelina Musera, UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project This document may be cited as: UNEP and WIOMSA, 2008. Marine Litter in the Eastern Africa Region: An Overview Assessment. United Nations Environment Programme. 60 pp. Contents Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................1 Background to the Study ..................................................................................................1 Background to the UNEP Marine Litter Programme ...................................................5 Introduction Towards a Western Indian Ocean Regional Activity ....................................................7 Chapter 1: Environmental Setting: Regional Litter Sources and Sinks 1.1 Land-Based Sources of Marine Litter .................................................................9 1.2 Marine-Based Sources of Litter .........................................................................10 1.3 Dispersion of Marine Litter ...............................................................................10 Chapter 2: Status of Marine Litter in the WIO Region 2.1 Information Sources about Marine Litter ........................................................15 2.2 Characteristics of Marine Litter in the WIO Region .....................................15 2.3 Country Maps Showing Marine Litter Hot Spots ..........................................25 Chapter 3: Priorities for Action in Marine Litter Management 3.1 Priorities for Action .............................................................................................33 3.2 Socio-economic Indicators of Capacity ............................................................33 3.3 Adequacy of Solid Waste Management Systems ...........................................38 Chapter 4: Recommendations 4.1 Data on Quantities, Types and Characteristics of Litter ................................41 4.2 Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts ...............................................42 4.3 Adequacy of Institutional Arrangements, Policies and Laws ......................43 4.4 Marine Litter Projects, Programmes and Initiatives ......................................44 4.5 Regional Partnerships and Strategies ..............................................................45 4.6 Summary of Required Actions .........................................................................47 4.7 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................47 References .....................................................................................................................49 Appendices Appendix 1: Countries Reports: Recommendations for Action .........................51 Appendix 2: Contributors to the Report .................................................................58 iii Executive Summary Background to the study arine litter is becoming a significant contributor to marine pollution in the Western Indian Ocean. The litter comes in myriad forms, and from a diversity ofM sources. It includes waste from legal and illegal dumpsites located on the coast or on river banks; rivers and floodwaters; industrial outfalls; discharge from storm water drains; untreated municipal sewage, and littering of beaches and coastal picnic sites/eating areas. Waste dumped from shipping and port activities, and waste that is transported from distant marine locations through ocean currents, is also a contributor to the region’s marine litter load. Synthetic/plastic litter and similar persistent solid waste particularly damage the environment, degrading its ecological, economic, cultural, recreational and aesthetic value. In recognition of the problems caused by marine litter, a United Nations General Assembly resolution in November 2005 called for national, regional and global actions to address the issue. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through the Global Programme for Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) and the Regional Seas Programme, is active in raising awareness about the marine litter problem. One of UNEP’s activities has been to commission this report— a preliminary assessment of the marine litter problem in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. The study was undertaken under the auspices of UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project entitled ‘Addressing land-based activities in the WIO region’ and coordinated by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA). The study aimed to collate the existing information about marine litter in the WIO Region, use it to determine whether or not there is need for concern, and recommend a way forward with regard to its management in the WIO Region. This report synthesizes information and data presented in national reports of 8 countries that are signatories to the Nairobi Convention for the protection, management and development of the coastal and marine environment in the Eastern African region, supplemented by secondary information from published and unpublished sources. The 8 WIO countries that participated in this study are Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa and Tanzania. Somalia, which at the time of the study did not have a recognized government, and the French Réunion, which is not eligible for Global Environmental Facility (GEF) funding, are not covered in this study. A draft version of this regional report was deliberated at the 3rd Joint Regional Meeting of the Regional Task Forces on Municipal Wastewater Management (MWWM) and the Physical Alteration and Destruction of Habitats (PADH) held in Tulear, Madagascar, 3-5 May 2007. The report’s content will feed into the process of formulation of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and Strategic Action Programme (TDA/SAP) being undertaken under the auspices of the UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project. The national reports that