Be A Part Of The Beach Cleaning Revolution, Not Pollution
Coastlines around the world have always unified people through the fact that each individual is sailing in the same boat as the others – the wish for cleaner beaches. Preventing coastlines worldwide from pollution is highly imperative, especially since it ensures the well-being of humans and aquatic fauna. Rising concerns with relation to the environment, including trash debris build-ups, contamination of seawater due to pollutants, and other similar narratives, are slowly threatening to destroy the environment while tethering people together using the common cause of protecting it.
Considering that a massive portion of the earth is composed of water, it is imperative to address the issue of beach pollution before it can threaten the very existence of mankind at large.
Research on the impact of beach pollution
As they say, when the beginning of any task is good, half the battle has already been won. Therefore, early assessments of the situation of beach pollution around the world can help in combating the same proactively. Comprehending the situation before diving into action can prevent a lot of hassle that could have been easily averted beforehand. Right from research on the energy efficiency of machines, drones, robots, etc. to studies on the effectiveness of the same can help tackle the ever-growing challenge of coastline pollution. The smartest way to handle the issue of beach pollution is to ensure the deployment of smart solutions post researching the same:
Ways to clean the beach:
The deployment of beach-cleaning machines
The coastlines are a lifeline for several people worldwide, with it providing food and employment for many. Nonetheless, marine ecosystems have come under the threat of the usage and dumping of plastic and other waste. Deploying specialized machines to clean beaches, including tractors with automated sleeves and rakes designed to remove the mounting trash debris gathered from the surfaces of global beaches has however changed the entire narrative in favour of the protection of the natural environment. Global statistics show that the expected use of beach-cleaning machinery worldwide keeps growing by at least 9% every year.
Manual clean-ups of the beach
Cleaning up the beach manually to prevent beach pollution does not require a special day dedicated to the same. Making every day coastal clean-up day through regular clean-up drives by bringing together community organizations, municipalities, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and even private individuals can keep beach pollution at bay. Traditionally, people use shovels and rakes when it comes to manually cleaning up the beach but the deployment of nets to trap the trash is equally effective in coastal clean-ups. Despite being a time-consuming and labour-intensive process, manual clean-ups have proven to be highly effective. By far, more than 390 million pounds of waste has been collected and effectively disposed of in various beach clean-up efforts throughout the world.
The usage of beach cleaning robots
Through the equipment of robots and drones with exclusive features including litter detection datasets, advanced computer vision, remote controls, power management, battery level detection, and the like, beach clean-up bots are now emerging as promising alternatives to coastal clean-up machines and manual cleaners due to their scalable and sustainable nature. As per worldwide reports, the use of beach-cleaning robots is expected to cross the present 22% usage threshold by the year 2031. Nonetheless, ensuring that the robots being used for cleaning the beach themselves come in environmentally friendly designs makes for responsible and more than effective coastline cleaning.
Why regular beach clean-ups matter
Since coastlines and several other geographic features cannot be measured exactly, the statistics collected concerning how much beach pollution around the world has been reduced can be immensely difficult to estimate. Nonetheless, the beach clean-up drives around the world have proven to be highly effective by far, in that the economy and tourism have begun reviving.
Considering that at least 40 percent of the population of the entire world stays near the coastline, it is imperative to clean up the beaches for survival and more. Apart from this, many people worldwide are dependent on the coastlines for their livelihoods. Even if many beaches are cleaned up, there is a possibility that people might continue to throw litter and plastic waste around the coastlines. Regular beach clean-ups followed by frequent inspection visits are imperative to protect the coastlines around the world from beach pollution. Besides, the Vedas strongly support the protection of the environment it purports the sustenance of life.
Why entire communities should be involved
Apart from the governmental and non-governmental organizations around the world, it is necessary to involve entire communities in beach clean-up projects. The reason behind this is that a huge chunk of the global population resides near coastlines. Several people around the world eat seafood which can have a detrimental impact on their health. The sea is also an attractive destination for surfers, fishermen, tourists, and more.
Before the oceans of the world can become history due to the threats to the environment, beach clean-ups need to go down in history to prevent major catastrophes from affecting beaches. Furthermore, when beaches are kept clean, it will not only boost tourism but also give a boost to the economy.
Why beach cleaning in India is important for the world
India ranks second in the list of the Top Countries with the Highest Ocean Pollution with Plastics in the year 2024 published in the Our World in Data, Statista, OECD report with 126,000+ metric tonnes of waste. If not controlled in time, it might rank first in beach pollution and surpass even the Philippines in the same. Furthermore, considering that India’s oceans form up to 20% of the water surface of the earth (which comes to 70%) according to the Ocean Literacy Portal of the UNESCO, it is imperative that the necessary action be taken before it is too late.
Beach clean-up initiatives in India
The Swachh Sagar initiative of the Swachh Bharat mission of the Government of India coupled with several other initiatives by NGOs such as the Clean Shores Mumbai, the Chennai Coastal Clean-up by the Indian Maritime Foundation, and the like are propelling forward the clean-ups of beaches in India with help from the locals.
The prevention of beach pollution – the ultimate solution
To quote the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus, “prevention is better than cure,” since beach pollution is best prevented rather than worked on cleaning up the beaches at a later date.
Conclusion
The most feasible action plan when it comes to cleaning up the beaches worldwide is a combination of manual, robotic, as well as mechanized coastal clean-up techniques. The reason behind the deployment of an amalgamation of methods rather than just one is the effectiveness and rapidity of the same. Apart from that, it is imperative to bring together several communities, whose lives are based on the resources obtained from the sea and involve them in coastal clean-up projects.
By: Sharmila Shankar
Write and Win: Participate in Creative writing Contest & International Essay Contest and win fabulous prizes.
