Stakeholders from Maldives, Sri Lanka, and India come together to share best practices and honor sustainable initiatives in the fight against marine litter.
Tuesday marked the successful organization of the Prevention of Marine Litter Conference and the 2023 PROMISE Sustainability Awards as part of the PROMISE project (Prevention of Marine Litter in the Lakshadweep Sea).
The conference, held in the Maldives, brought together stakeholders from the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and India to share best practices in addressing marine litter and promoting sustainable practices in the region.
The PROMISE project is a collaborative effort coordinated by the Maldives National University, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in India, Parley Maldives, the National Cleaner Production Centre in Sri Lanka, STENUM Asia in India, and adelphi Research in Germany.
The conference focused on key topics such as preventing leakages in the plastic value chain through sustainable consumption and production practices, the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for plastic packaging, and the promotion of circular economy models for plastic packaging.
Participants discussed strategies and initiatives aimed at minimizing waste and preventing marine litter in the region.
The event featured distinguished keynote speakers, including Dr. A M Sheela, Member Secretary of the Kerala Pollution Control Board in India; . Sunil Garusingai, Director of the Central Environmental Authority in Sri Lanka; and . Ali Majid, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology in the Maldives.
These speakers emphasized the urgent need for collaborative efforts among stakeholders to address the pressing issue of marine litter.
Presentations during the conference highlighted the activities and achievements of the PROMISE project and other related initiatives. J M Vivek from GIZ presented the Circular Economy Solutions Preventing Marine Litter in Ecosystems (CES) project, while. Sayanthan Santhalingam from ACTED Sri Lanka discussed the PLASTICS project, which focuses on promoting a sustainable, transformative, and inclusive circular economy in Sri Lanka.
Additionally, . Ahmed Afrah Ismail, Co-founder of Zero Waste Maldives, presented the EPR Scheme for plastic and packaging wastes in the Maldives.
The conference featured two panel discussions. The first panel focused on the EPR framework for tackling marine litter, with a particular emphasis on its implementation aspects, especially for the MSME sector. Dr. Suneel Pandey, Director of TERI, moderated the panel, which included experts in waste management such as Dr. A M Sheela, Ali Majid, Sunil Garusingai,. Shibu Nair from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives in India, Jyotish Kumar from Suchitwa Mission in Kerala, India, J. Sunil from the Kerala Plastics Manufacturers’ Association in India, and. Chetan Baregar from Recykal in India.
The second-panel discussion focused on boosting tourism through the promotion of clean beaches and explored the positive impact of initiatives like the ‘Blue Flag’ certification on eco-tourism in the South Asian region. Amarnath Munnolimath, Senior Manager at adelphi Research in Germany, moderated the panel, which included. Rupesh Kumar from the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, India, Dr. T R Vinod from the Centre for Environment and Development in India, Dr. Abdulla Nazeer from the Maldives National University, . Hamdun Hameed from Parley Maldives, Ruwan Chamara Wijemanne from the National Cleaner Production Centre in Sri Lanka, and. Rajat Batra from STENUM Asia in India.
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The highlight of the conference was the PROMISE Sustainability Awards, which recognized the efforts of enterprises in the tourism industry in minimizing waste at their premises. Two enterprises from each of the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and India were felicitated with the awards. The winners included Luau Beach Inn in V. Fulidhoo and Jeym Lodge in AA. Thoddoo from the Maldives, Convenience Foods (Lanka) PLC and Citrus Hotel in Waskaduwa from Sri Lanka, and Crowne Plaza in Kochi and Biriyani Hut in Kottayam from India.
The conference was attended by participants from governmental bodies, development organizations, NGOs, private sector entities including tourism enterprises, and academic institutions actively involved in marine litter prevention and waste management. The event provided an important platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration, reinforcing the commitment of stakeholders in the region to combat marine pollution and protect our oceans.
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