Reducing Marine and Coastal Pollution

The West African coastline is home to
major industries, mining activities, peri-urban and
agro-industry, and tourism, as well as urban and seaside
residences, all of which generate waste and cause pollution.
Many areas along the coast also lack adequate wastewater and
solid waste management systems. As a result, large volumes
of untreated wastewater and solid waste are dumped into the
open, polluting the land and water. Water quality studies
can help policy makers set targets and baselines and develop
pollution reduction plans at the local, national, and
regional levels. Such studies generally focus on pollution
from sewage/wastewater, nutrients, and marine litter; they
may also include other pollutants, such as oil (spills from
ships and offshore oil exploration and production),
chemicals, and heavy metals. Reducing the generation of
plastic debris requires collect¬ing data on the origin,
volumes, and types of plastic litter, so that appropriate
measures can be taken to reduce the use of, reuse, or
recycle plastic products.