Funding and Collaborative Efforts for Clean Oceans in East Asia
“Marine plastic litter has emerged as a significant global environmental challenge that demands effective cooperation between East Asian countries.”
Over 50 people attended the EAS Congress Marine Litter Fund Forum. The marine litter issue in East Asia has become an urgent environmental crisis, as the region contributes over 50% of the world’s marine plastic waste. The problem is too vast for any single nation to tackle alone, making a collaborative regional response essential. Although the World Bank has invested around $1 billion in the East Asian region to address this issue, marine litter-related ODA remains at a mere 0.014% of total environmental aid, which is insufficient given the severity of the problem.
Key recommendations for the fund include implementing a diversified funding approach, encouraging contributions not only from developed countries but also from local governments and the private sector. It was also suggested for the fund to operate with a long-term perspective, supporting comprehensive management of land and sea-based pollution sources. Another priority is to support technological innovation and capacity building, particularly for scientific research on emerging threats like microplastics. Finally, establishing robust performance measurement and monitoring systems will be essential for data collection, allowing for more informed and effective policy-making.
“Integrated management from upstream to downstream, technological innovation for tracking, big data for analyzing marine litter issues, plus capacity building for effective marine litter management are essential. The forum served as a foundational step towards establishing a dedicated fund to strengthen international cooperation to address marine litter in the East Asian Seas region.”
