Abstract:
In the last years, marine litter has become a global political issue, discussed by various international organizations and governments. There is a broad consensus that firstly, land-based sources account for 80 per cent of marine litter worldwide and secondly, the majority of plastic enters the ocean from a specific region. Over half of it comes from five rapidly growing economies: China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam (Jambeck et al. 2015). A growing population, long coastlines, transforming consumption patterns and the quality of waste management are primary causes of the region´s pollution potential (Ocean Conservancy 2015, Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2016, Bergmann et al. 2015).
So, how is the situation on the ground? For a case study, the Vietnamese island Phu Quoc was selected to shed light on the waste management infrastructure, on prevalent practices of local communities with regard to plastic consumption and plastic waste handling as well as on the perceptions of waste by various actors.
Keywords:
Plastic consumption, Practices, Perception, Waste Management Infrastructure
Citation:
Kerber, H.; Kramm J. (2018): Researching marine litter on the island Phu Quoc, Vietnam. In: Watersolutions 2, 26-28.