- Voices of the Ocean
The river that could not breathe: Would you throw trash into your drinking water?
That question might sound unbelievable, who would willingly harm the very thing that keeps them alive? But I’ve watched an entire community do just that.
I grew up in Nigeria, in a house that backed onto a river. It was once a flowing, living thing, meant to bring life to our community. But instead, it became a dumping ground for pollution.
Plastic bags. Broken furniture. Rotting food. People threw their waste into the river, believing the rain would wash it all away. But that’s a misconception, one that came back to haunt us.
A river turned landfill
The logic was simple: when the rain came, the flood would wash it all away. But where did “away” really mean?
The truth is waste doesn’t just disappear. When it rains, the water doesn’t remove the pollution, it redistributes it. The river became clogged, struggling to flow. Eventually, the river by my home wasn’t a river anymore. It was a landfill disguised as water.
And then came the floods.
When the river fought back
In Nigeria, rainfall isn’t a gentle drizzle, it’s an unforgiving downpour. I remember a storm so fierce that it tore the roofs off seven houses and stacked them onto an eighth. Water surged through the streets, carrying waste, bacteria, and destruction. Homes were lost. People were displaced.
And yet, after the floodwaters receded, the cycle continued. The dumping didn’t stop.
At the time, I didn’t fully understand why this was happening. Now, I do.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that 80% of Ocean plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, often through rivers like mine. This means that every bottle, every plastic bag, every discarded item that clogs local waterways doesn’t just cause floods, it travels further, affecting marine life and ecosystems far beyond what we can see.
And the consequences are far-reaching.
- Marine animals in the Ocean mistake plastic for food, leading to starvation or poisoning.
- Microplastics enter the food chain, affecting human health.
- Fisheries and coastal economies suffer, impacting livelihoods worldwide.
The power of small actions
It’s easy to forget but every small action counts.
Cleaning one gutter. Removing one plastic bottle. Stopping one person from littering. That’s how change begins. The river behind my grandparents’ house taught me a lesson I will never forget when we take care of our environment, it takes care of us in return. And the best part? It is not too late.
The question is: What small action will you take today?
Waterways like the one behind my grandparents’ house are part of a much larger system. What happens to small rivers affects bigger ones. And ultimately, all rivers lead to the Ocean.
Studies show that over 75% of marine plastic litter items are accumulated from land-based sources. Land-based sources, including beach littler, contribute about 80% of the plastic debris.
The effects are devastating. Beyond the impacts already mentioned, like microplastics entering the food chain and marine animals ending up entangled, coastal communities also suffer. Polluted waters affect fishing, local economies and tourism.
And to think, it all starts with a single piece of plastic, tossed carelessly into a river.
Taking back the river
Every Thursday, my grandfather made sure we fought back.
Armed with gloves, bags, and sheer determination, my cousins and I waded through the muck, pulling out waste that shouldn’t have been there in the first place. It was exhausting, endless work. Some weeks, it felt like our efforts were just a drop in the Ocean; we were making no difference at all.
But then, something changed.
People noticed. Some stopped dumping their trash. A few even joined us. It wasn’t a massive movement, but it was proof that small actions matter.
The more I learned about environmental science, the more I understood that local efforts ripple outward. Cleaning one river may not fix the entire Ocean, but it’s a start. And sometimes, a start is all we need.
Here’s how you can take action
People often assume that environmental action requires large-scale efforts. But if a few young people cleaning up a river could make a difference, imagine what we could do if we all worked together.
- Reduce your plastic use: Avoid single-use plastics like bags, straws, and bottles. Switch to reusable alternatives.
- Proper waste disposal: If you don’t see a bin nearby, hold onto your trash until you do. Small decisions prevent large-scale pollution.
- Community cleanups: Organise or join a local cleanup effort. Even one event can remove hundreds of pounds of waste from the environment.
- Educate and inspire: Share knowledge about the impact of pollution. Encourage friends, family, and neighbours to be mindful of their waste.
- Support policies that protect waterways: Advocate for stronger waste management and plastic reduction policies in your community.
Thank you for raising your voice for the Ocean, Rodiah!
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