Clean Shores, Great Lakes launches

Funded by Handelens Miljøfond (Norwegian Retailers Environment Fund) and led by Farhan Khan (NORCE Norwegian Research Centre) and Bahati Mayoma (University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), the project partners with EMEDO, ARENA Recycling Industry, and Local Government Authorities (LGAs) and aims to deliver clean-ups at numerous sites across Mwanza, Kigoma, and Mbeya in the next months.

The project will mobilise local communities as environmental ambassadors to collect litter, especially plastics, record clean-up data through citizen science , promote circular economy and provide data-led advice to regional and national policymakers on mitigation strategies.

These lakes are essential freshwater habitats with diverse and unique species and are also home to a significant portion of the Tanzanian population, providing direct and indirect livelihood opportunities to millions of people. Plastic litter is a huge source of microplastics  which has been documented as being ingested by fish in the Great Lakes. 

Litter will be quantified and classified providing insight into the sources and distribution of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes region. This knowledge will be crucial for stakeholders to come up with data-led dialogues for the development of effective solutions to address this problem. Stay tuned for updates on the clean-up campaigns, research findings, and more. 

Together, we can make a difference in the fight against plastic pollution in the African Great Lakes.