First Our Ocean Conference in Africa Highlights Urgent Need for Global Action on Sewage Pollution
Ocean Sewage Alliance, partners, and funders call for a United Nations Global Sewage Treaty as new evidence finds mounting economic and environmental costs of untreated wastewater
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As governments, scientists, businesses, and civil society leaders convene at the 11th Our Ocean Conference (June 16-18), the Ocean Sewage Alliance and a coalition supported by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation will be calling on world leaders to recognize sewage pollution as one of the most overlooked threats facing the ocean and begin building momentum toward a United Nations Global Sewage Treaty.
While marine conservation efforts have increasingly focused on plastics, overfishing, and climate change, sewage pollution is one of the most pervasive and overlooked threats to ocean health. Nearly half of the world's wastewater enters the environment untreated, contaminating rivers, lakes, coastlines, coral reefs and fisheries. The impacts extend far beyond environmental degradation affecting public health, food security, economic development and climate resilience, costing the global economy an estimated USD $4 trillion annually.
"Ocean conservation cannot succeed while billions of gallons of untreated sewage flow daily into our waterways," said Jasmine Fournier, Executive Director of Ocean Sewage Alliance. "Sewage pollution is a transboundary crisis. No country can solve it alone. We need the same level of international coordination that has been applied to the high seas, climate change and biodiversity."
The urgency of the issue is particularly evident in Kenya, which is hosting this year's conference. Economic analyses by the Ocean Sewage Alliance and Back to Blue found that only 11% of Kenya's wastewater is treated. The report estimates that inadequate wastewater management contributes to a 5.1% loss in Kenya's fisheries economy and that over USD 65 million is lost annually due to related diarrheal diseases linked to contaminated water. This illustrates how sewage pollution undermines public health, livelihoods, food security and economic growth.
Those findings are reinforced by new scientific research published earlier this year, exposing that sewage and wastewater pollution are actively undermining Marine Protected Areas – the primary global marine conservation mechanism. Researchers identified East Africa as one region experiencing the highest wastewater pollution loads, warning that global conservation goals – including the commitment to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 (30x30) – cannot be achieved without significantly improving wastewater management. The study concludes: stronger governance, international cooperation, and targeted investment are essential to protecting marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Kenya's experience highlights the challenges and opportunities of addressing sewage pollution. Innovative, locally tailored approaches are expanding access to sanitation, creating jobs, improving public health, and reducing pollution before it reaches waterways and the ocean. Successful efforts from organizations like Fresh Life demonstrate that investments in sanitation can deliver benefits for people, communities and ecosystems alike.
"Sewage pollution is one of the most overlooked threats to both human and environmental health," said Eric Njogu, Managing Director at Fresh Life. "The costs of inaction are borne by communities through disease, degraded ecosystems, and lost economic opportunity. Our experience delivering safe sanitation solutions in Nairobi and Kisumu demonstrates that scalable solutions exist and can deliver meaningful benefits for communities, public health, and the environment. Global action to address sewage pollution is urgently needed, and a shared commitment to driving the ambition, investment, and accountability required to protect our waterways and oceans for future generations is essential."
To support the widespread adoption of effective sewage and sanitation solutions, the coalition is advocating for a Global Sewage Treaty built around six pillars:
- Build Strong Monitoring Systems
- Update Regulatory Standards
- Unlock Innovative Financing
- Set International Targets
- Strengthen Governance and Enforcement
- Promote Nature-Based Solutions
The coalition believes that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) is central to achieving the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Without clean water and effective sanitation systems, progress on health, food security, economic growth, biodiversity, climate resilience and sustainable cities will remain out of reach.
"Clean water and sanitation are the foundation of healthy, resilient communities," said Fournier. "The solutions to sewage pollution already exist. What is missing is the international cooperation needed to scale them. A Global Sewage Treaty would help countries accelerate action and transition toward systems that achieve all SDGs by protecting both people and the ecosystems they depend on."
Ending sewage pollution requires action at every level, from local innovation to international cooperation. The coalition is calling on individuals and organizations to join the growing movement for a United Nations Global Sewage Treaty. Learn more about the Action Pledge that Ocean Sewage Alliance is leveraging to build momentum for coordinated action on sewage pollution at globalsewagetreaty.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Larissa Balzer
Director of Marketing & Communications
Ocean Sewage Alliance
[email protected]
www.globalsewagetreaty.org
SOURCE Ocean Sewage Alliance
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