Over 3000kgs of litter was removed from the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve on Sunday, 21 May, as the Durban Consulate General of India partnered with the eThekwini Municipality to host the G20 Beach Clean-up.
Over 800 people turned up to be part of the mammoth clean-up drive which was aimed at addressing the huge problem of marine litter. Among those in attendance were prominent environmental organisations such as Adopt a River, WESSA, Green Corridors, Oceans Alive Conservation Trust, Green Buddies Environmental Club, Breathe Ocean Conservation and Enviro Fixers Durban North.
The focus of the day was to bring attention to the problem of marine litter and the need to work together towards the sustainable development of oceans. More than 850 people including learners from various schools, in and around Durban, participated in the beach clean-up and jointly collected over 3000kgs of marine litter.
The Consul General of India, Dr Thelma John David highlighted the powerful message behind the theme of India’s G20 Presidency which is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “one earth, one family, one future”.
“All the G20 members and guest countries have joined hands with India to raise public awareness regarding marine litter. India’s Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has organised a beach cleaning drive involving the delegations from various G20 Members and Guest countries on 21 May 2023 in Mumbai, on the side-lines of the G20 meetings on environment. The initiative will draw global attention to the need to combat coastal and marine pollution and the role of citizens and their participation in preventing and cleaning up marine litter,” said Dr David.
Consul General of USA, Anne Linnee added: “Every single action of humans has an impact on the nature and oceans including what products we choose to consume and how we use them matters too. The ‘Blue Economy’ is estimated at 3 trillion Dollars by 2030 and KwaZulu-Natal has an enormous coastline that they could benefit from.”
Mancosa’s volunteers also guided the participants throughout the initiative and an open air marine animal awareness exhibition was also arranged, which was visited by hundreds of people while Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife honorary rangers organised guided mangrove nature walks to promote awareness about importance of mangroves and conservation among the school students and public.
The clean-up precedes the meeting of the 18th Heads of State and Government Summit of the Group of 20 (G20) which will take place in September 2023 in New Delhi, India. Under the Indian Presidency, the G20 in 2023 will focus on the theme, ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. The theme affirms the value of human, animal, plant, and microorganisms and their interconnectedness on planet Earth and in the wider universe.
The Leaders’ Summit is the climax of the G20 process and the work carried out over the year through Ministerial Meetings, Working Groups, and Engagement Groups.
The Indian Presidency will also spotlight Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), with an emphasis on environmentally sustainable and responsible choices at both the individual lifestyle and the national development level, with the aim of achieving a cleaner, greener, and bluer future. The Working Groups will focus on the following tracks: agriculture, anti-corruption, culture, digital economy, disaster risk reduction, development, education, employment, environment and climate sustainability, energy transitions, health, trade and investment, and tourism.
The G20 is expected to adopt a Leaders’ Declaration at the conclusion of the Summit that states Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the Ministerial and Working Group Meetings.
The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the EU. The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, and the US. India holds the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
