On May 24, the United Nations Environment Programme will be presenting a webinar on The Impact of land-based pollution on coral reefs: focus on nutrients, plastics, and wastewater:

Over time, our oceans have increasingly become dumping grounds for different types of waste, including sewage, industrial waste, chemicals, plastics andlitter. An estimated 80% of marine pollution originates from land-based sources including wastewater and nutrients loadings. Worldwide, pollution in coastal waters has increased exponentially during the last decades due to population growth and the increasing number of anthropogenic activities. Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to wastewater and nutrient pollution, which consequently threatens the health and well‐being of hundreds of millions of people who depend on coral reef ecosystem services for nutrition, livelihoods and a safe living environment. With the influences of ocean warming and coral bleaching impacts, land-based pollution constitutes a significant additional threat that must be addressed with urgency.

This webinar will explore the link between land-based pollution and coral reefs. The experts will elaborate on the impacts that pollution, particularly wastewater and nutrient, have on the health of coral reefs and the consequentimplicationsforhuman health and the environment. They will also highlight case studies and best practices on how to address the impact of pollution on coral reefs.

The webinar is an event in support of the 2018 International Year of the Reef.

You can register online. The webinar will start at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Africa Time.