By Gerance Mutwol
Friday 2 February 2024 was World Wetlands Day, and I’m reflecting on my recent trip to meet communities living near wetlands, where I witnessed the devastating effects of plastic pollution on both the environment and the lives of those dependent on these ecosystems. It was heart-breaking to say the least.
Our mission is clear: tackle the plastic pollution crisis head-on. But we can’t do it without support from people like you.
Whether large or small, your contribution will help us keep up vital work with frontline communities pushing back against plastic pollution and protecting Africa’s wetlands.
In Africa, progress is being made. At least 34 out of 54 countries have taken significant steps to ban single-use plastics – Nigeria being the latest. But we still have a long way to go to get effective enforcement, strengthened policies and incentives for sustainable alternatives.
Did you know that wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics? Or that Africa’s wetlands ecosystems are estimated to cover more than 131 million hectares?
Africa’s wetlands sustain people who live near them with nutrition, water supply and purification, provide vital climate and flood regulation, coastal protection and ever shrinking feeding and nesting sites for bird life. But they are being threatened across the continent by the menace of plastic – I saw this first hand on a trip to Kenyan wetlands recently. And the people who live nearby and rely on them have had enough.
Plastic pollution has reached alarming levels, with devastating consequences not only for our marine life, but also for marginalised communities who are facing disproportionate health impacts from the plastics industry, whether through petrochemical facilities, incinerators, landfills, polluted waterways, or the burning of illegally imported plastic.
Looking at plastics through the climate lens, over 99% of plastics is made from fossil fuels and a reduction in plastics production by at least 75% by 2040 is crucial to keep global warming below the 1.5°C target to alleviate the serious impact of climate change on our wetlands ecosystems. We have to make that happen and push back against plastic.
Let’s keep doing all we can to protect our wetlands.
Gerance Mutwol is Plastic Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa.
