Ghana’s coastal zones have been engulfed by marine debris such as plastics polluting the coastal environment and affecting the entire ocean and marine life due to mass usage of single-use plastic, lack of education about the ocean, and improper waste disposal and management practices. An estimated 1.1 million tons of plastic waste is generated per year with only about 5% is collected for recycling, this has become a serious threat to the coastal ecosystem and dwellers whose livelihoods depend on coastal resources.
Coastal Watch is a marine plastic pollution educational program to establish ocean clubs in basic schools in Ghana to educate and inspire children to care for the ocean through holding Workshops, Bootcamps, Awareness Campaigns, and Beach clean-ups using education for sustainable development and transformative learning to educate children about the ocean and plastics. Introduce them to different species, types, causes, and solutions to marine plastic pollution to ensure the long-term survival of the ocean, marine creatures, and ecosystems to become catalysts for change against ocean pollution among their peers and in their communities.
The aim of this project is to enhance knowledge and awareness on marine plastic pollution to make children, young people, and communities more concerned, have a better understanding of the causes and negative impacts of marine litter especially from single-use plastics, and engage in more actions to reduce marine plastic pollution.
We Are Promoting Lifelong Ocean Education.
1. Type of collaboration: Technical and Financial
2. Project title: Coastal Watch
3. Location: Cape Coast, Central Region of Ghana
4. Short description: Coastal Watch is a marine plastic pollution educational program to establish ocean clubs in basic schools in Ghana to educate and inspire children to care for the ocean through Workshops, Bootcamps, Awareness Campaigns, and Beach clean-ups using education for sustainable development and transformative learning to educate children about the ocean and plastics.
5. 1 -min Pitch: Increasing and mass usage of single-use plastics, improper plastic disposal, and lack of education have resulted in pollution of Ghana’s coastal zones by plastics. Coastal Watch seeks to enhance knowledge and awareness of communities on marine plastic pollution starting with children.