Africa-Press – Namibia. PRESIDENT Hage Geingob has rallied world leaders to intensify their efforts to combat plastic pollution and coastal erosion to avoid an unprecedented global environmental catastrophe.
Currently, plastic debris is the most abundant type of litter in the ocean, making up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.
Oceans cover more than 70% of the planet’s surface, and scientists estimate that more than 50% of the oxygen production on earth are from it.
If discarded improperly, plastic waste can harm the environment and biodiversity.
Geingob recently spoke at a discussion on ocean protection at the first edition of the One Ocean Summit in Brest, in France.
He said the sustainable governance of oceans as a shared public good is crucial for the progress and prosperity of mankind.
Therefore, the president said, world leaders need to do more to respond to the impact of climate change.
“We cannot continue talking about threats to the ocean in an abstract way or to offer one-dimensional solutions that could hinder the implementation of the recommendations from climate change experts,” he said.
The One Ocean Summit was organised to raise global awareness on marine issues and to translate shared responsibility to the ocean into tangible commitments.
Geingob said initiatives from the summit must respond to the climate change crisis “through the equitable and better governance of the oceans”.
“The ocean gives us food, it gives us life, and connects human beings in extraordinary ways. Therefore, its protection is not optional, but vital for the survival of our global village. As such, through initiatives such as the One Ocean Summit, we should recommit to act now to protect the vital resource of our ocean for our continued livelihoods,” he said.
As countries across the world prepare for intergovernmental negotiations, Geingob said world leaders must adopt a strong institutional framework to achieve the goals of “conservation as well as the sustainable and equitable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction”.
He told the summit that Namibia is in the final stage of developing a sustainable blue economy policy aimed at effectively protecting, maintaining and restoring “biodiversity, productivity, resilience and the intrinsic value of Namibia’s marine and aquatic ecosystems”.
He said the country is also developing green hydrogen as a means to limit the impact of climate change on rising sea levels and global warming.
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