Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah, the Executive Director of HELP Foundation Africa and also the convener for Fisheries Alliance explained that the nexus between World Environment Day 2025 and World Ocean Day 2025 lies in the shared focus on environmental protection, particularly plastic pollution and sustainable ecosystems.
World Ocean Day 2025’s theme, “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us”, highlights the ocean’s critical role in sustaining humanity. The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth. The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming. The Ocean is home to most of earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world. Not to mention, the ocean is key to our economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.
World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution. Plastics are clogging our rivers, choking our oceans and showing up in our food. Plastic pollution has seeped into every corner of the world, leaching into the water we drink, into the food we eat, now tiny fragments of it can even be found inside our bodies.
A greener world isn’t just about what happens on land – healthy oceans are equally important to ensure a stable climate. Yet our blue planet is currently facing urgent threats, from plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental crises of our time, Because:
Plastic pollution severely affects the ocean by harming marine life, disrupting ecosystems, damaging coastal economies, and even entering the human food chain.
Plastic pollution Harm to Marine Life : Ingestion: Marine animals (like fish, turtles, whales, and seabirds) mistake plastic for food. Ingested plastics can block digestion, cause internal injuries, and lead to starvation. Entanglement: Animals like seals, dolphins, and seabirds get trapped in fishing nets, plastic rings, and other debris, leading to injury, suffocation, or drowning. Microplastics: Tiny plastic particles (from degraded larger plastics or personal care products) are eaten by plankton and small fish, moving up the food chain.
Plastic pollution causes Disruption of Marine Ecosystems: Habitat Damage: Plastics smother coral reefs and seabed, disrupting delicate ecosystems and breeding grounds. Invasive Species Transport: Floating plastics can carry non-native species to new areas, destabilizing ecosystems.
Plastic pollution has Toxic Chemical Effects : Plastics can absorb toxic pollutants like PCBs, pesticides, and heavy metals. These toxins bioaccumulate in marine organisms and biomagnify up the food chain, eventually reaching humans through seafood.
Plastic pollution causes Economic, Livelihood and Social Costs: Fisheries Impacted: Entangled propellers, damaged nets, and reduced fish stocks hurt artisanal and commercial fishers. Tourism Losses: Plastic-littered beaches and polluted water deter tourism, especially in coastal communities that depend on it.
Climate Link: Plastic production and disposal contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Ocean plastic also impacts carbon sequestration by harming organisms like plankton that help regulate Earth’s climate.
Human Health Concerns: Humans consume microplastics through seafood, salt, and water. The long-term health impacts are still under research but may include hormonal disruption and immune system effects.
In Ghana, Rivers like the Odaw and Korle in Accra carry plastic waste to the sea. Plastic pollution affects mangrove ecosystems and threatens the livelihoods of coastal fishers and processors.
While plastic pollution is a major concern, it is also one of the most fixable of today’s environmental challenges, with some obvious solutions at hand. What Can Be Done:
- Reduce single-use plastics (bottles, sachets, bags).
- Improve waste management systems, especially in coastal towns.
- Support beach clean-ups, plastic bans, and recycling initiatives.
- Promote education and advocacy to shift behaviors and policies.
