A working meeting addresses the elimination of the threats of plastic pollution in the Black Sea ecosystem.
During the meeting, the representatives of the local and central government and non-governmental organizations discussed the technologies for collecting plastic waste in rivers and the Black Sea, identifying plastic leakage ‘hotspots’, and improving the policy of plastic waste management.
Mr. Solomon Pavliashvili, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, focused on developing a unified policy for the preservation of biodiversity for the countries of the Black Sea basin area.
“Plastic pollution of oceans, seas, and rivers is a global problem. Studying the pollution level in the Black Sea area and finding potential solutions are crucial for us. Notably, the cleaning of the sea requires a complex approach. Along with other Black Sea countries, Georgia should take care of preserving the biodiversity of the Black Sea,” said Mr. Solomon Pavliashvili.
In 2021, the Government of Georgia developed a National Plastic Waste Prevention Program for Georgia (NPWPP) to combat plastic pollution, and in the same year, the nation joined the High-Ambition Coalition, whose objective is to eradicate plastic pollution by 2040.
According to Mr. Klaus Sattler, Environmental Engineer at the World Bank, the Government of Georgia is making significant strides at the international level towards developing policies to eliminate the threat posed by plastic pollution.
The meeting was held under the World Bank’s PROBLUE initiative, which aims to support the development of integrated, sustainable, and healthy marine and coasta