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Volume 14
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Article

Empowering Local Practitioners to Collect and Report on Anthropogenic Riverine and Marine Debris Using Inexpensive Methods in India

by
Katharine A. Owens
1,*,
Jaya Divakaran Sarasamma
2,
Katie Conlon
3,
Solomon Kiruba
4,
Alwyn Biju
2,
Niyathi Vijay
2,
Manikandan Subramanian
2,
Smitha Asok Vijayamma
5,
Ayona Jayadev
5,
Vineeta Hoon
6,
Rebekah Padgett
6,
Pranoti Joshi Khanolkar
7,
Dilip K. Kakavipure
8,
P. M. Mohan
9,
Sourav Chattopadhyay
10 and
Chinmay Khanolkar
11
1
Department of Politics, Economics, and International Studies, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT 06112, USA
2
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala, India
3
Toulan School of Urban Studies, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
4
Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, Chennai 600059, Tamil Nadu, India
5
Department of Environmental Sciences, All Saints’ College, Thiruvananthapuram 695007, Kerala, India
6
Centre for Action Research on Environment Science and Society (CARESS), Chennai 600094, Tamil Nadu, India
7
Department of Science and Humanities, K. J. Somaiaya College of Engineering, Mumbai 400077, Maharashtra, India
8
Department of Zoology, B.N.N. College, Bhiwandi 421302, Maharashtra, India
9
Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, Pondicherry University Off Campus, Brookshabad, Port Blair 605014, Andamans, India
10
Center of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai 608502, Tamil Nadu, India
11
K. J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai 400077, Maharashtra, India
 
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1928; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031928
Submission received: 28 October 2021 / Revised: 22 January 2022 / Accepted: 1 February 2022 / Published: 8 February 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Marine Debris)
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Abstract

This article includes a review of the literature on marine debris in an Indian context and introduces a replicable, scientific, and inexpensive collection method to build capacity and inform policymakers. We share baseline data resulting from ten cleanups using these methods in India. This method was introduced in a 2019 workshop to train Indian researchers, leading to local-led collections in three states and two Union Territories (8 beaches, 2 riversides) yielding 33,474 individual pieces of debris weighing a total of 599.15 kg. Plastic was the most frequently found material at all ten collection sites, comprising from 45% to 89% of all items found. The research establishes a baseline data collection at ten locations, with debris density at sites ranging from 0.38–3.86 items/m2. Application of the Clean Coast Index yields resulting rankings of moderate (1 site), dirty (2 sites), and extremely dirty (7 sites). Researchers also identified 2461 brands in analysis at six sites, 76% of which were Indian in origin. Replication of the methods in other Indian regions among the community of thirty-three practitioners was below target for collection (41%) and brand audit (8.3%) with 25% of teams sharing data with the community of practitioners and 12.5% sharing results with local policymakers. The analysis indicates debris is overwhelmingly composed of plastic from residential activities. The methods empower practitioners to collect and report on debris, ground-truthing global debris estimates, and illuminating the missing plastic problem.
Keywords: plastic; freshwater; marine; citizen science; India; policy; litter plastic; freshwater; marine; citizen science; India; policy; litter

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Owens, K.A.; Divakaran Sarasamma, J.; Conlon, K.; Kiruba, S.; Biju, A.; Vijay, N.; Subramanian, M.; Asok Vijayamma, S.; Jayadev, A.; Hoon, V.; et al. Empowering Local Practitioners to Collect and Report on Anthropogenic Riverine and Marine Debris Using Inexpensive Methods in India. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1928. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031928

AMA Style

Owens KA, Divakaran Sarasamma J, Conlon K, Kiruba S, Biju A, Vijay N, Subramanian M, Asok Vijayamma S, Jayadev A, Hoon V, et al. Empowering Local Practitioners to Collect and Report on Anthropogenic Riverine and Marine Debris Using Inexpensive Methods in India. Sustainability. 2022; 14(3):1928. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031928

Chicago/Turabian Style

Owens, Katharine A., Jaya Divakaran Sarasamma, Katie Conlon, Solomon Kiruba, Alwyn Biju, Niyathi Vijay, Manikandan Subramanian, Smitha Asok Vijayamma, Ayona Jayadev, Vineeta Hoon, and et al. 2022. "Empowering Local Practitioners to Collect and Report on Anthropogenic Riverine and Marine Debris Using Inexpensive Methods in India" Sustainability 14, no. 3: 1928. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031928

APA Style

Owens, K. A., Divakaran Sarasamma, J., Conlon, K., Kiruba, S., Biju, A., Vijay, N., Subramanian, M., Asok Vijayamma, S., Jayadev, A., Hoon, V., Padgett, R., Khanolkar, P. J., Kakavipure, D. K., Mohan, P. M., Chattopadhyay, S., & Khanolkar, C. (2022). Empowering Local Practitioners to Collect and Report on Anthropogenic Riverine and Marine Debris Using Inexpensive Methods in India. Sustainability, 14(3), 1928. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031928

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