Lack of Awareness & Serious Environmental Issues
Despite the growing evidence of the seriousness of climate change and the link between carbon emissions and natural disasters, many people still fail to appreciate the urgency of the situation. While there may be temporary flashes of awareness and empathy, the issue of climate change is often forgotten again over time, leading to growing environmental apathy and disengagement.
Of the more than 400 million tons of plastic waste produced each year, 90% is either buried, burned, or discarded, while only a mere 10% is recycled. As reported by the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), 46% of the 90% of waste that is not recycled is landfilled, 22% is mismanaged and becomes litter, and the remainder is either incinerated or flows into the ocean.
The ingestion of plastic waste by marine life, including sea turtles, can have lethal consequences. Marine animals that mistake plastic bags or small plastic fragments for food experience digestive issues and accumulation in their bodies, which ultimately leads to death.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has revealed that over one million marine animals die annually as a result of plastic pollution. The UNEP is committed to raising awareness and conducting campaigns to highlight the detrimental impact of non-degradable plastics on marine ecosystems and the subsequent harm to the people who rely on these ecosystems.
The Sundarbans forest in Bangladesh, often referred to as the "carbon sink forest" and regarded by climatologists as playing an even more significant role in reducing carbon dioxide than tropical rainforests, is the largest mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarbans plays a vital role in coastal protection and biodiversity maintenance. However, rising sea levels caused by climate change and industrialization are causing this area to degrade and lose its protective functions. A UN report found that natural breakwaters have diminished, leading to significant losses in lives and property.
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