Caspian Sea Beach Cleanup Campaign
by Green Front of Iran
Caspian Sea is the largest unconnected body of water in the world. Its level is about 27 meters below international waters. The area of Caspian Sea is estimated to be around 378400 square kilometers and its average depth about 180 meters. The Republic of Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Islamic Republic of Iran surround this lake. Its pollution has lately attracted international attention in the World Conference of Science. In a side meeting of this conference held by UNESCO aboard a ship in Danube River, the Caspian Sea was declared the most polluted lake of the world.
Considering the importance of this body of water for the regional residents Green Front of Iran (GFI) performed a comprehensive beach cleanup operation. GFI performed the program on 27 and 28 August 1999 in more than 30 spots from Astara on the west to Bandar Turkman on the east. Several thousand members of GFI and interested individuals (many of them local residents) took part in the operation. In order to perform the program in the best possible way we also asked for the support of local authorities and government agencies like governors, city councils, offices of the Department of Environment and police forces. Thankfully we got very positive and helpful replies. We had also asked the environmental NGOs of the surrounding countries to start such a campaign on the same days.
The final result of the program was around 10 tons of dangerous waste collected from beach in the coastal provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan. The initial goals of the program as planned by GFI were to:
• · raise more concern among people and authorities about the pollution of Caspian Sea and attract more public participation in keeping the beach clean.
• · train the local residents through face-to-face communication and brochure distribution.
• · reduce the pollution as much as possible.
• · strengthen the self-confidence of independent organizations to achieve their goals.
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Green Front of Iran hopes to have achieved at least part of its initially planned goals.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor, his majesty has encouraged the program by his message to the inaugural ceremony. In part of his message we read:
“Today well over half of the world's population lives in coastal areas and, by the end of the first decade of the new millennium, an estimated 70-80% will live in close proximity to the oceans and seas. Billions of people, poor and rich alike depend on local coastal fishing for most of their animal food protein, and other coastal resources for sustenance, development and recreation.
Billion of pounds of solid debris were once dumped into the oceans and seas every year. The amount of debris left on beaches by tourists or local people worldwide is indubitably larger than any published estimation. Most of this debris consists of plastics which constitute some 75% of all ‘recreational' waste found on beaches. All of this material is in one way or another harmful to marine coastal organisms as well as to people. People are the problem, but people are also the solution. Marine debris is one pollution problem that individuals can solve by direct, individual action. Two changes are needed: (i) a change in the behaviors that produce debris and (ii) the development of continuous cleanup activities. Together both provide solutions to a global problem that will change for the better the face of our coasts. These two changes may be encouraged through continuous public awareness programmes highlighting the fragility and importance of coastal ecosystems.
Beach cleanup is about cooperation and partnerships. Beach cleanup brings people together - school children, fishermen, boat owners, government employees, port authority personnel, teachers, factory workers, scuba divers, and politicians, as well as a number of environmental, cultural, and civic organizations.
All over the world beach cleanup activities like the one proposed by the Green Front of Iran for the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, are being carried out regularly by international agencies, NGOs and volunteers, children and adults, who are concerned with the ecological and economic problems caused by polluted beaches.”
At the end the Director-General of UNESCO has recognized NGOs as the best groups for beach cleanup operations and thanked GFI as one the best such Iranian organizations.
Our final declaration was read in the closing ceremony in six articles:
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• The governments of the surrounding countries ought to start a close cooperation to utilize the underground and marine resources of Caspian Sea. For this to take place the quick finalizing of the legal regime of this sea is a must.
• The regional countries should cooperate in order to solve the problems caused by the leakage of industrial, home and agricultural sewage into this sea.
• All the constructional plans in the boundary of this sea have to be environmentally assessed.
• Because of the current critical situation, utilizing the financial and technical facilities of the world is a must and we propose that an international fund is raised to help preserve the plant and animal species of this sea.
• A comprehensive program for the management of solid waste in the coastal area should be performed.
• The bounds of forests and rivers have to be respected and protected against abnormal use.
