ENVIRONMENT: 11 tons of waste pollute Panama’s coastline hourly

At least 11 tons of waste end up on Panama’ coasts and seas every hour reports the Ministry of the Environment in presenting A National Action Plan for Marine Litter 2021-2026 .

Some  61,553 tons per year come from human activities in urban areas and 40,675 tons per year from human activities in rural areas. Marine litter in Panama comes in a wide variety of types, shapes and sizes, from microplastics to large ships abandoned on the coast.

The 5-year  plan aims to be a guide to reduce and eliminate marine litter that threatens biodiversity.

That means developing an annual coastal clean-up strategy; strengthening waste management programs developed by NGOs and educational content in schools; involving private companies, and creating incentives.

In addition, laws would be established to strengthen the system of fines and sanctions.

Osvaldo Jordán, director of the Ramsar Regional Center for the Western Hemisphere, said this is one of the greatest challenges the country has in environmental conservation and emphasis should be placed on creating the circular economy.

“We must go beyond the recycling that is currently practiced in some areas, and reduce plastics and other materials that pollute the environment.”