Coastal and marine plastic pollution in Vietnam: Problems and the way out

Abstract

Vietnam is one of the global hotspots of marine plastic pollution and is ranked fourth in the world. The present study investigated the current conditions of coastal and marine plastic pollution in Vietnam, and their sources, sinks, and solutions to curb this ongoing threat to the environment in the country. Mangrove ecosystems, dunes, and subsoil are major sinks of coastal plastic litter in the country, whereas seagrass meadows and deep oceans are major sinks of marine plastic debris, in addition to the coastal margins. The key steps needed to curb marine and coastal plastic pollution in Vietnam are cleaning up the existing litter, preventing further plastic waste from reaching the coastal and marine environments, strict legislation, community education, and imposing penalties for dumping plastic litter in the coastal areas. Proper waste management strategies on local and regional scales are inevitable in tackling coastal and marine plastic pollution in Vietnam.