For someone who was fortunate enough to live by the ocean for three years, I once believed our beaches were clean. I watched documentaries about heavily polluted shores in more densely populated countries, and felt grateful for how our coastlines seemed untouched by such extreme levels of pollution. That perception, however, was shattered when I joined the 2024 Research Methodology Internship at Gobabeb Namib Research Institute, which focused on assessing marine plastic pollution in the Erongo Region of Namibia.
Over the course of three weeks, our team conducted intensive fieldwork, collecting plastic litter from beaches stretching from Walvis Bay all the way up to Torra Bay. The sheer volume of debris we uncovered was staggering. From everyday household waste to discarded materials from industries tied to the Blue Economy, we found plastics of every shape and size. It was a sobering realisation: our seemingly pristine beaches were not immune to the global scourge of plastic pollution.
This experience left me wondering—how much longer until our coastlines are completely engulfed in plastic waste? Is the public truly unaware of the dangers that plastic poses to our marine ecosystems, or are we simply too disconnected from the aftermath of our consumption? Do people stop to think about where their plastic waste ends up? Are they aware that a single plastic bottle can take centuries to break down, and even then, it disintegrates into micro plastics that permeate the water, soil, and marine life?
What many people do not realise is that even when plastic fragments break down into these microscopic particles, their journey does not end. Micro plastics have been found in the stomachs of marine animals, in the fish we consume, and even in the air we breathe. Studies are showing that these micro plastics may carry toxins, threatening not only marine species but also human health. The effects of these pollutants are still being researched, but the potential long-term impacts are alarming.
The question that remains is this: Are we doing enough to educate the public about the full lifecycle of plastic waste? And beyond awareness, are we taking the necessary steps to curb our plastic dependency, or are we content to ignore the problem until it is too late? As the evidence piles up, it is clear that our relationship with plastic needs to change—before the ocean, and all the life it supports, is irreversibly damaged.
By Diina Shatipamba (NYCE Otjozondjupa Regional Coordinator)