Escalating issues pertaining to the disposal of plastic waste have emerged as an alarming global concern, underscored by the environmental infiltration of fragmented plastic materials into terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric systems. This predicament is notably amplified within the African continent, where rudimentary waste management infrastructures exacerbate the situation. This review dissects the prevalence, abundance, and distribution of plastic litter and microplastics within diverse environmental compartments (namely, sediments, water bodies, and biota) across Africa. Detailed analysis of existing research findings highlights concentrations of plastic debris and microplastics, identifying the predominant types of polymers and shapes of particles present. It is observed that most African research endeavours have primarily concentrated on microplastics, albeit macroplastics or plastic litter posing substantial challenges as well. Marine environments have been the predominant focus of these studies, with freshwater ecosystems relatively understudied. The geographical focal points of these research efforts were primarily South Africa, Tunisia, and Nigeria. Conversely, a glaring lack of comprehensive studies addressing plastic pollution within terrestrial and atmospheric systems calls for urgent research attention. Documented evidence of plastic ingestion by diverse aquatic and terrestrial fauna, including insects, fish, birds, molluscs, and arthropods, reaffirms the pervasive nature of the problem within African water bodies. An evaluation of existing literature identifies polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene as the most common types of plastics present within both freshwater and coastal systems. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of these studies failed to adequately characterize the identified plastics, thus obstructing the identification of potential sources. Consequently, it is imperative that future investigations prioritize polymer identification, which can facilitate the development and implementation of efficacious strategies for mitigating plastic pollution and curtailing environmental leakage of plastics.

Thekelan Village, Kopeng District has a special potency of ecotourism. Thekelan Village is located at an altitude of + 2000 masl with magnificent scenery and surrounded by protected forest areas. The social characteristics of the community are homogeneous, distinctive, and strong highland culture. Thekelan Village has annually received visits from universities and schools for both comparative study and live-in programs. However, the sustainability of the tourism needed to be evaluated since the community has not participated much in the tourism activity (just lodging and communication). Indicators were established to evaluate the sustainability of existing tourism in Thekelan Village. Moreover, a survey, in-depth interview, and focus group discussion have been conducted to the community to assess the readiness to develop sustainable ecotourism. The results showed that the existing tourism has failed to be sustainable. Nevertheless, the community are ready to implement a new program to improve the management of community participation in the rural tourism setting. Therefore, a sustainable ecotourism can be developed and bring more economic benefits to the local people.

A stringent environmental quality standard for zinc (Zn) has been enacted by regulators because of its toxicity to aquatic life. This study’s objective was to evaluate the variability of Zn concentrations and fluxes in the baseflow and stormflow and to estimate the contribution of Zn from point and non-point sources. By using high-resolution temporal sampling, the suspended solids (SS), iron (Fe), and Zn concentrations were measured in a small agricultural river catchment. Fe, as the natural non-point source, and Zn were evaluated using the end member mixing analysis (EMMA) to identify the source apportionment (point and non-point). The results indicate that in the baseflow, Zn mainly originated from point sources and was possibly discharged by manufacturing industries. By contrast, the non-point sources (diffuse sources) were responsible for extremely high SS, Fe, and Zn levels in the stormflow. In addition, Zn discharge during the stormflow was 93 times higher than that during the baseflow. According to the EMMA, approximately 74% of the Zn was from point sources. River management can be improved if Zn point sources are adequately treated. During a storm event, it is also important to control the particulate Zn released into the river.