Using Technology to Protect Oceans

Participants at the TechCamp examined issues like marine pollution, rising sea levels, deteriorating marine life and unregulated fishing.(Photograph by Romolo Tavani/Shutterstock.com)

The production and use of plastic cause significant environmental concern worldwide, including in India, where 26,000 tons of plastic waste are produced daily. A large portion of this waste ends up in landfills, where it leaches toxic substances into the soil and water bodies.

Akhil Prakash E., a senior research scholar at Cochin University of Science and Technology in Ernakulam, believes this problem can be tackled by “emphasizing personal responsibility for the waste we produce.” He was part of a project called LitterLog, which aims to build a database using artificial intelligence (AI) to map out plastic dumping sites in different localities and identify the types of plastic found. “This will help pinpoint specific areas needing attention, whether they are related to household or fishery waste,” he says.

Akhil presented this project at the “Tech4Oceans: Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future” technology camp, organized by the Kochi-based Centre for Public Policy Research in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General Chennai. “In the future, we aim to expand this project globally using AI and satellite mapping techniques,” he says.

Protecting marine life

The three-day techcamp in Kochi, which drew participants from across India, centered on examining issues like rising sea levels, deteriorating marine life, increased oceanic and surface temperatures, unregulated fishing and marine pollution. Participants developed eight projects to address ocean pollution and waterway management.

“The camp had international and local experts and the trainers took up a collaborative and multifaceted approach to enhance awareness about ocean health and sustainability by working toward achieving the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-14 which calls to ‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources,” says D. Dhanuraj, founder-chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Research.

Facilitators included policymakers, representatives from government departments, technology experts from academia and research, social tech entrepreneurs, and national and international organizations who work toward strengthening India’s capacity and capabilities in ocean health, environmental issues and governance. Participants were trained via a combination of expert presentations, interactive sessions and group discussions.

Technology for the community

The techcamp emphasized topics related to linking communities and the ocean to promote healthy, sustainable human-environment interactions. The projects covered diverse aspects like the identification of species at risk, the use of real-time data, marine corrosion, and innovative ideas to incentivize people based on their involvement in marine pollution.

Shrijan Praveen Tayde’s start-up, Amlaan RiverCorp, developed a project on the aggregation of data on marine litter mapping using GPS-enabled onboard cameras. “Our CataClean 2.0, an indigenously built water trash skimmer, will help battle the physical and evident pollution in the water bodies much more efficiently than how it’s being done currently,” says Tayde. “Our planet is 73 percent water. With pollution increasing at an exponential rate, we need to spring into action. Otherwise, we’ll leave our water bodies damaged and toxified.”

Based in Nagpur, Amlaan RiverCorp is a marine environment conservation start-up dedicated to fighting marine environment pollution and facilitating waste management. A budding naval architect and an ocean engineer-turned-CEO, Tayde is eager to collaborate with like-minded individuals to help address the urgent need for solutions to combat water pollution.

For Dhanuraj, the techcamp was an invaluable opportunity to understand the need, potential and relevance of the use of technology to create awareness and find solutions to marine pollution and the efficient use of marine resources. “It helped us understand the complexity in the marine ecosystems and how it varies from place to place, especially in the remote fishing villages,” he says.

From high-tech systems like the tracking of plastic pollution using AI to low-tech beach cleanups and awareness campaigns, TechCamp Kochi’s innovations demonstrated how sustainable solutions can have an impact. The U.S. Mission in India continues to promote sustainability to protect the environment. As a U.S. Department of State spokesperson says, “The U.S. Department of State looks forward to making additional impacts in India with our upcoming TechCamp Pune in September 2024, which will be focused on technological solutions to promote green waste management in Maharashtra.”

Paromita Pain is an associate professor of Global Media Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

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