Stop Plastic! – Goa (India)

This is what it's all about:

What and where? We want to launch an awareness campaign throughout the state of Goa in India. The topics covered will be plastic pollution, responsible tourism, protection of the marine environment and marine wildlife in Goa.

For whom? For locals: in schools, universities, coastal establishments (hotels, restaurants, shacks), tourist operators, state agents (tourism department, environment department, coast guard). For tourists: during events (setting up beach clean-up days, eco-responsible parties), in hotels.

My project is special because ...

• Goa is India’s most polluted coastal destination.

• Tourists come in large numbers every year to enjoy the beach, parties and alcohol without necessarily caring about the environment.

• Disposable plastic is part of the everyday life of locals and tourists.

• Abnormally high numbers of endangered dolphins and turtles are stranded on Goa’s beaches, certainly in relation to human activities.

• The locals, especially children, do not have access to awareness about the marine environment, which is very rich in Goa.

• More than 400 dolphin watching boats are present in Goa, almost all of them do not follow codes of good conduct regarding how to approach dolphins.

• In India, much attention is being paid to the protection of terrestrial wildlife. However, very few projects are developed for marine animals and their environment.

• We will train at least one teacher per school and one manager per hotel so that they can continue to make presentations on the marine environment to children/employees and thus keep the project going after our departure.

This is what I need backing for:

Thanks to your donations, we will be able to hire an on-site team of 4 people with experience in eco-tourism, public awareness, environmental projects and marine wildlife conservation. These people are part of Terra Conscious, an organization based in Goa with which we have already collaborated.

If you wish, you can receive rewards in return for certain donations. They are listed in the «rewards» column on the right.

Thank you for your support.