Disparity worsens ocean pollution
Ocean plastic pollution is threatening humanity and Thailand cannot escape the blame as one of the world’s worst marine polluters. Although the government has pledged to tackle marine pollution, one thing is certain. Success is out of reach if the state authorities fail to engage local communities as equal partners.
According to the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), Thailand is the world’s tenth-biggest dumper of plastic waste into the sea (2020). That is not surprising. The country has an average of 1.03 tonnes of mismanaged waste each year. Nearly half of it (0.41 tonnes) flows into the sea. Plastics take a long time from 20 up to 500 years to decompose.
Bangkok Post Reporter