ON September 11th of this year, more than 200 Kuantan residents gathered to collect an astounding 543 kg worth of garbage from Pantai Cherok Paloh at a community coastal cleanup held in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day.
The event was organized by 30x30 Malaysia and the Institute of Oceanography and Maritime Studies (Inocem) at the International Islamic University of Malaysia Kuantan in collaboration with the Kuantan City Council (MBK) and the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp).
“Our aim was to raise awareness about the pollution and biodiversity crisis affecting the marine environment,” said Max Chew, co-founder of 30x30 Malaysia.
“The coastal waters of Kuantan are home to a vibrant nearshore coral reef ecosystem. It is a biological asset not only to marine organisms but also the local fishing communities. Unfortunately, however, the reefs are being degraded due to human activities like improper garbage disposal.”
Datuk Hasnul Hamidi bin Harun, representative of the Kuantan City Council, and Dr Mohd Fuad bin Miskon, Director-General of Inocem, officiated the cleanup. Participants were also joined by Professor Azmi, campus director of the International Islamic University of Malaysia, the chief of Kampung Cherok Paloh Tok 4, and the principal of SK Cherok Paloh.
The event began at 8am with an aerobic exercise and a tree-planting programme to inaugurate International Coastal Cleanup Day. Over the next 2 hours, participants used the Clean Swell app to record data on the types of trash collected during the cleanup. The data will be compiled and submitted to local authorities to help guide coastal litter management policies, noted Max. He added that participants were able to redeem their collected garbage for money funded by SWCorp to encourage recycling.
30x30 Malaysia also led a workshop to educate participants about Malaysia’s marine protected areas and the 30x30 environmental target to conserve at least 30% of the planet’s land and oceans by 2030. “We want to mobilise Malaysians for the 30x30 movement, especially as we are fast approaching the Convention on Biological Diversity summit (COP15) this December,” said Mae Chew, co-founder of 30x30 Malaysia.
At COP15 in Montreal, Malaysia and 189 other countries are expected to finalise and adopt a new Global Biodiversity Framework designed to prevent mass extinctions and bolster resilience to climate change.
Throughout the event, members of the public visited booths stationed along the beach, which ranged from marine research and environmental education to free healthcare inspection.
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“Youths were encouraged to pen letters or record video messages to our country’s leaders on the importance of protecting our ocean,” explained Max on 'Bersuara untuk Biodiversiti'. “By empowering them with creative advocacy skills, we hope that youths will serve as effective agents of change in how their communities interact with the ocean.”
Dr Juliana Bt Mohamed of Inocem said, “Kuantan’s coastal areas are an important area of biodiversity that should be targeted for conservation. Given the success of the event, we look forward to organizing more meaningful events like this to enhance efforts to protect and conserve our marine environment.” – The Vibes, October 16, 2022
