Tiny drops make mighty oceans We need individual and collective efforts to save our water bodies.

When you live in a coastal city like I do, you become deeply aware of the vast expanse of sea, its smells and sounds. The vast expanse of water impacts our life. Recently, we were enlightened about the sea and its linkage to humanity, animals and plants at an event in the Alliance Française of Madras, in collaboration with the French Institute in India and the French Embassy.

It was an engrossing evening with a panel discussion and an exhibition on the theme, “We are the Ocean”. The idea was to look at how each one of us is connected to the ocean and the challenges the sea is undergoing in the face of drastic pollution and dramatic climate changes. It was, as Alliance Francaise put it, a “space for dialogue, creativity, and action.”

The sea and all our other water bodies are rampant with a range of polluting substances, of which plastic is the most prominent, was the most disturbing aspect highlighted at the discussion. One of the partners at the event, Tree Foundation, has been working to protect the ocean, the environment, and the interconnectedness between human activity and the ocean. It has been giving special focus to protecting the Olive Ridley, hawksbill and green turtles along the country’s east coast. For this it uses the services of village communities and their youth. It organised former turtle egg poachers and school dropouts into a Sea Turtle Protection Force and released an estimated 3.85 million turtle hatchlings back into the ocean.

The photography exhibition, ‘Faces of the Ocean’ gave the audience a glimpse of the work our fishermen do and their role in making us the second-largest fish-producing country in the world representing around eight per cent of global fish production. The images were powerful, of the intensive work men and women do as they engage in hauling nets, repairing boats, sorting, cleaning and selling the fish.

We were told that this was the right time to focus on the oceans and see how we can involve ourselves in keeping waste and plastic away from the water. Last month, the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) had a massive conference where they urged world leaders to “recognise the ocean as a central pillar of climate action.” So those among us, who feel that green is the way to go and live close to water bodies, must join in action that can save the oceans from pollution, protect marine life, and root for marine biodiversity.

“The ocean sustains our economies, shapes our cultures, and nourishes our communities. As stewards of nearly 30 per cent of its vast expanse, we embrace both a profound privilege and a solemn responsibility — a duty shared by all nations that see the sea as part of their heritage and their future,” was an urgent appeal at UNOC3 from President Surangel Whipps Jr of Palau, a Pacific Island nation. He is the current chair of AOSIS, where protecting the ocean is the most important agenda. As a matter of fact, it should be for us as well.

And yes, some organisations are taking the ocean seriously and trying to add their might to the effort which is truly a herculean task. On World Oceans Day last month, Ibis India, which has several hotels in coastal cities including Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai and Goa, reported that it had partnered with NGOs to conduct a large-scale ocean cleanup. It had mobilised over 600 volunteers and collected over 500kg of waste in a single day.

Apart from cleaning up, which is badly needed at all our beaches, Ibis hotels held awareness sessions on marine pollution and had some interactive sessions for schoolchildren, fishermen and tourists “to encourage long-term behavioural change and collective environmental responsibility.”

It was aligning itself with this year’s global theme, ‘Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us’. The idea is to bring into focus how important the marine system is for us and how it is vital to restore ocean health, which in turn supports life on Earth.

So, what can we do to protect our oceans and other water bodies? For a start we can conserve water so that excess water does not flow into the rivers and other water bodies which finally find their way into the sea. On the same count, prefer non-toxic cleaning products and pesticides so that these do not pollute our water.

We have to reduce our use of single-use plastic and campaign for this in our community and ­neighbourhoods. It is estimated that 80 per cent of plastic pollution in the ocean originates from land, ­including untreated waste, water runoff from cities, and industrial activities. Marine animals can mistake plastic waste for food with disastrous consequences including death. Human beings are adversely impacted when they consume contaminated marine food.

Microplastics, which are tiny pieces of plastic invisible to the naked eye, that break down from larger plastic waste, are causing havoc in rivers, lakes and oceans. These can come from a variety of sources including synthetic fibres used in fast fashion and clothing.

Studies reveal that plastic pollution on the land and in the water can seriously impact the ability of ecosystems to adapt to climate change. In the ocean, it harms marine life.

So, to protect the ocean you can volunteer to clean-up beaches and river banks in your neighbourhood. You can also change your lifestyle by consuming less plastic and encourage others to do the same. At an individual level your contribution may seem too inconsequential. But remember tiny drops of water make the mighty ocean.

The writer is a senior journalist who writes on environmental issues