<
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/dec/09/it-is-ambitious-but-ambition-builds-the-world-can-the-gambias-bold-plan-to-cut-plastic-pollution-work>
"Travelling through the Gambia, it is hard to avoid the makeshift dumpsites
burning along the roadsides, filling the air with toxic fumes. Outside the
tourist areas, beaches and waterways are littered with plastic rubbish.
The Gambia has long acknowledged it has a problem with plastic. For nearly a
decade, it has attempted to solve it through legislation, including an
anti-littering law in 2007 and a ban on plastic bags in 2015.
Now, despite the failure of international plans to cut plastics pollution, the
Gambia is redoubling its efforts. In October, the country released a bold
roadmap to eliminate plastic over the next decade. The
National Action Plan –
a strategy designed with the UK organisation Common Seas – aims to target the
entire lifecycle of plastics to reduce plastic waste by 86% through
improvements to infrastructure, stricter enforcement of new and existing
legislation, and by raising public awareness.
For many, implementation of the plan cannot come quickly enough. “Our water
bodies, our rivers, our oceans are choking,” says Lamin Jassey, who has worked
in environmental conservation for 15 years. “The amount of plastic we see daily
is unacceptable.”
Jassey welcomes the action plan but is sceptical about yet another government
measure he describes as “beautiful on paper”. “Gambia is just trying to impress
the international world. The common man is not benefiting,” he says of steps
taken so far."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
