Monitoring and assessment of macroplastic pollutionduring the covid 19 pandemic and its correlations with coastal tourism : a case study of the sandy beaches of Koh Samui, Thailand | |
| Author | Khaloufi, Amina El |
| Call Number | AIT RSPR no.MPA-21-41 |
| Subject(s) | Microplastics--Environmental aspects--Thailand--Koh Samui Plastic marine debris--Environmental aspects--Thailand--Koh Samui |
| Note | A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Marine Plastics Abatement |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Plastic has brought many advantages to people’s daily life and operations. However, both the very high “consumption/production” and “waste mismanagement” are responsible behind plastic’s leakage to the environment and harm caused to the ecosystem. Koh Samui is a beautiful island that is no exception to this global crisis. With the ocean currents bringing huge amounts of debris to the shores every day in addition to other challenges, it became urgent to double efforts tackling plastic pollution. Therefore, this study aims to first investigate the plastic pollution and plastic waste management situations in Koh Samui. As such, interviews were conducted with the municipality, the local NGO Trash Hero, and few local residents and tourists. Also, debris surveys were conducted in 3 touristic beaches to evaluate the plastic pollution levels, both the plastic waste fraction and composition, and the pathways to the ocean. Besides, a questionnaire was designed to collect information related to the plastic footprint, awareness, and satisfaction of both tourists and the local residents. The study found out that while Chaweng beach is considered clean according to the Coastal Clean Index mainly thanks to the beachfront businesses’ effortsto keep the studied selections clean, both Lamai and Bo Phut beaches were found moderately polluted with plastic. Plastic debris represented the majority of marine debris collected from the surveyed sites, and cigarette butts are the most abundant among debris. Transects located near the beaches’ main entries and rainwater paths were more polluted compared to other transects. As an Island, Koh Samui is surrounded with the ocean that continuously brings waste from the mainland and the neighboring countries, which confirms that plastic pollution is a global challenge to tackle by everyone rather than a local challenge only. Other pathways of plastic debris to the ocean are through the waterways, rainwater, the sewage system, fishing and recreational activities in addition to the leakages occurring at the level of the garbage drop off stations and unintentional loss/deliberate litter. Currently, all generated plastic waste is shipped to mainland, and plans to implement an energy recovery plant are under study. Plastic consumption was found higher among the local residents compared to tourists as they rely on Single Use Plastic excessively. This was also due to the Covid 19 pandemic pushing for more measures to contain the virus, which increased the use of plastic in numerous applications, such as packaging in takeaway and food delivery. Moreover, different correlations exist between awareness, plastic footprint and satisfaction components, with slightly different results from the analyzed responses between tourists and the local residents. Finally, brief recommendations were provided for technological, regulatory, and managerial improvements to better tackle plastic pollution in Koh Samui. |
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Research Study Project Report (RSPR) |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Marine Plastic Abatement (MPA) |
| Chairperson(s) | Thammarat Koottatep |
| Examination Committee(s) | Tatchai Pussayanavin; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Government of Japan |
| Degree | Research studies project report (M.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2021 |