Project Coast was a CSR event organized by AIESEC in NSBM in collaboration with the Center for Beach Cleanups with the aim of contributing towards SDG 14, which is “Life Below Water”, and SDG 13, which is “Climate Action”, It was held at the Wellawatte Beach and had approximately 100 dedicated individuals who were all apart of this initiative, to actively reduce marine pollution while raising public awareness about the concept of coastal waste management and promoting a waste-free, sustainable, and healthy coastal environment.
What are SDGs?
The United Nations created the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. They are a set of 17 interconnected goals. By 2030, they hope to have addressed and resolved world issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation. Eradicating poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality, ensuring access to excellent education and healthcare, promoting sustainable economic growth, reducing inequalities, and protecting the planet’s natural resources are among the objectives. The SDGs reflect a common vision and global commitment to making the world better for all.
What is SDG 13?
SDG 13 refers to “Climate Action,” which aims to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. This goal includes lowering the amount of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere, making people more resilient and able to deal with the harmful effects of climate change, and spreading education and awareness about climate change.
What is SDG 14?
SDG 14 refers to “Life Below Water,” which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. This goal includes targets for protecting marine biodiversity, reducing pollution in the sea, and helping fisheries stay healthy.
SDG 13 and 14 progress in Sri Lanka
Like many other countries, Sri Lanka is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, more frequent and severe natural disasters, and changes in weather patterns. Moreover, Sri Lanka, as an island nation, relies heavily on its marine resources for food, livelihoods, and even tourism. However, the country faces various challenges related to marine conservation and sustainable use, including overfishing and marine pollution.
In order to achieve SDG 13 and SDG 14 in Sri Lanka, coastlines should be cleaned up of plastic waste. Plastic pollution is a severe problem for the environment that harms habitats, human health, and marine life. When plastic waste on coastlines degrades into microplastics and enters the food chain, it can also increase greenhouse gas emissions.
Therefore, one of the methods to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change, reduce marine pollution, and promote environmental sustainability is to remove plastic trash from beaches. By lessening the amount of plastic waste that reaches the ocean, we contribute to protecting marine life and preserving ecosystems, and we can also help to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Even though there are still so many other things to look into when it comes to maintaining and achieving these two sustainable development goals in Sri Lanka, we, as AIESEC in NSBM contributed to this too. It may be just a small initiative, but many of these small contributions eventually pave the path towards the betterment of our country. So start small and start now!
By Shavinka Jayamaha
Lead Journalist – DXP
AIESEC in NSBM
