The effects of climate change and the impact of waste are two of the most serious threats to the health of the marine environment.
The increase in temperatures and sea level facilitates the appearance of invasive species on our coasts and worsens the effects of storms, beach erosion and damage to infrastructure with very costly consequences. The increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts interrupts the supply of sediment and water by rivers, necessary to nourish our beaches with sand and to provide nutrients by plankton.
Plastics constitute almost 80% of the waste in the oceans and amount to approximately 150 million tons. Although recent actions such as the bans of certain types of disposable plastics by the European Union have caused marine debris to decrease by more than 30% on European beaches, more drastic actions are needed to minimize a problem that causes death of tens of thousands of sea turtles and a million birds each year.
The responsibility to change the model is shared by all levels of society: individual, community, business and political. The activities, workshops and talks offered by the Beach Center help us understand and become aware of these problems, but also to discover the beautiful and rich ecosystems that make up Barcelona’s beaches.
You can find the program at https://www.barcelona.cat/centreplatja
Follow the group of friends from the Beach Center on Instagram @centredelaplatja_bcn
To receive monthly newsletter (Ecology and sustainability): https://comunica.barcelona.cat/inici
Agenda + Sustainable https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/agendasostenible/ca
