Plastic pollution and disaster risk reduction

This paper highlights the interlinkages between the downstream stage of the plastic lifecycle and disaster risk, analysing: the impact of plastic pollution on ecosystem resilience; the impact of plastic pollution in accumulation zones; the increase in vulnerability due to plastic pollution; and the impact of disasters on plastic pollution.

In line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, key recommendations to integrate disaster risk reduction consideration into efforts aimed at tackling plastic pollution include:

• Recognizing plastic pollution, in the form of plastic waste and microplastics, as a hazard; 
• Taking into account the impacts of plastic pollution on human well-being; 
• Considering how plastic pollution might affect ecosystem resilience, and focus efforts on addressing this impact;
• Investing in developing resilient waste management systems, and retrofitting existing waste management systems to increase their resilience to disasters; 
• Considering the disaster risk implications in deciding on priority accumulation zones for clean-up efforts; 
• Ensuring plastic pollution clean-up activities do not create new risk; 
• Addressing risks associated with plastic pollution, including by expanding research on the multifaceted risks posed by plastic pollution to human well-being.