By Daniel Itai
The World Bank has stated that more than 320,000 tons of plastic waste remain uncollected each year in the Caribbean, adding that it has the highest number of litter items per kilometer in the world, with over 2,000 litter items per kilometer, compared to the global average of 573.
“Marine pollution poses a threat to the region’s resilience to climate change and its economy, especially for countries in the Caribbean and Central America. Marine ecosystems are crucial sources of food and livelihoods for many Latin American and Caribbean countries, supporting industries such as fisheries, tourism, shipping, aquaculture, ports, and energy,” stated the World Bank.
The World Bank also highlighted that marine pollution in the form of plastics, sewage, chemicals, and other by-products jeopardizes fisheries and tourism, which are vital to many Caribbean economies.
It emphasized that fisheries are essential sources of employment, income, and food security for local communities, and tourism contributes to 15.2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Caribbean and over 50 percent in certain countries, such as Grenada.
“However, rising sea temperatures and marine pollution are degrading coral reefs, which hold immense value due to their biodiversity and appeal to the tourism industry. The wider Caribbean waters are often littered with thousands of plastic shards, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the total litter,” the World Bank stated.
This situation represents a potential long-term loss of revenue for affected countries, as studies show that tourists are willing to pay significantly more to vacation on clean beaches and are unlikely to return to littered ones. Plastic litter also negatively impacts public health in the region by providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes and perpetuating diseases like Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika, the World Bank added.
Furthermore, the World Bank emphasized that recognizing the importance of combating marine pollution and leveraging the blue economy for climate resilience and poverty reduction is a critical step for the region.
