CounterMEASURE
Plastic leakage models for localities in
6
countries
Millions of tons of plastic waste flows from rivers into the ocean every year. Only ten of the world’s rivers are responsible for up to 95% of it. Until recently, we knew little about how that waste actually ended up in these river systems. Using cutting edge technology, UNEP’s CounterMEASURE project has been working with communities along Asian rivers including the Mekong and Ganges Rivers to map where and how plastic waste is entering the waterways. Citizen science is a key part of this effort, alongside drone imaging, machine learning and GIS algorithms. Using the project app, communities are able to identify plastic waste hotspots to help find how plastic is leaking into rivers. In the second phase of the project, CounterMEASURE is collaborating closely with Clean Seas to build a campaign for plastic-free rivers. Visit countermeasure.asia to learn more and find out how you can help
In recent years, global attention to marine litter and plastic pollution has surged. Estimates show that rivers transport upwards of millions of tons of plastic into the oceans every year. Some 95% of that discharge comes from only 10 rivers, 8 of which are in Asia. Amongst those 8 are the Mekong and the Ganges rivers, the lifeblood for hundreds of millions of people in South-East Asia and India. However, scientific knowledge on marine plastic litter and effective countermeasures remains insufficient to tackle the problem properly.