Initiative: Clean Marine Environment Initiative
Institution: Chungcheongnam-do
Problem: Marine debris was a growing environmental concern. When an oil spill in which 12,547 million liters of crude oil were released to the ocean due to a collision of a crane ship and an oil tanker eight kilometers northwest of Mallipo Beach in Taen-gun, Chungcheongnamdo happened, the need to address the marine debris became a priority. The initiative “Clean Marine Environment” started as a way not only to address the challenges and reduce marine debris but to prevent them while reducing the existing one.
Solution: The solution to the problem came as an integrated response in three stages: (i) prevention of generating marine debris; (ii) collection and storage; and (iii) transportation and disposal. The initiative was supported through public-private partnerships and ensured the participation of civic groups and residents.
Impact: The decrease of marine waste has had multiple positive impacts, such as (i) higher satisfaction rates of inhabitants and increased rates of tourism; (ii) increase marine life habitat preservation and fishery production; (iii) reduced number of ship and divers’ accidents; (iv) stable environment for marine biomass resources; and (v) reduction in land waste flowing to the ocean.