Overview
The GIC team participated in the SEA of Solutions 2024 (SoS 2024) conference, organised by SEA circular, a joint initiative by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) supported by the Government of Sweden. The conference took place from 18th to 20th September 2024 at the United Nations building. This year’s theme was “Delivering Actions to End Plastic Pollution”, with sessions that delved into science and evidence-based actions, policy and regulatory measures, finance and investment, circularity in the plastic value chain and community engagement for behaviour change.
This conference included participants and speakers from various organisations and countries such as Greece, France, Australia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, China, Japan, Nepal, Vietnam, India, Netherlands, Myanmar, Pakistan, Malaysia and many others.
Conference Highlights
At the conference, GIC showcased two technologies—pLitter CCTV and a mobile app—at the Science and Evidence-Based Action booth. Our team (Ms. Ushnish Tuladhar, Mr Karun Mooksrisai, Mr Hau Nguyen) attended various plenary and knowledge sessions covering topics such as “Transforming Plastic Value Chains,” “Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainability,” “Redirecting Financing for Plastic Pollution Solutions,” and “Measuring Marine Litter to Design and Implement Effective Actions.” On the final day, the GIC team, alongside the Ocean Cleanup team, conducted an on-field demonstration of the pLitter CCTV and mobile app. Dr. Kittiphon Boonma, a Research Specialist at GIC, presented the features, benefits, applications, and limitations of both technologies to participants.
Possible outcomes of this conference were:
- Enhanced recognition of the Geoinformatics Center (GIC) among diverse companies and stakeholders
- Opportunity to new collaborations with potential partners
- Dissemination of knowledge regarding GIC’s technologies to conference participants
- Insights into global plastic waste management initiatives from various countries.
