The first photo exhibition on plastic waste, "Save the Sea," in Vietnam.

With the message "Only action brings change," the exhibition, through its photographs, aims to raise awareness about plastic waste among all people, suggest possible solutions, and call for concerted action from ministries, government agencies, businesses, and the public to reduce plastic waste pollution in Vietnam.

The exhibition displays over 100 photographs selected from more than 3,000 images taken along over 3,000 km of coastline, in 28 provinces and cities, and over 100 estuaries. The photos are arranged by content, location, and time of capture to give viewers a comprehensive picture of the reality of plastic waste along Vietnam's coastline. Photographer Lekima Hung shared at the opening ceremony: "I hope my story will spread and inspire the community, contributing to changing perceptions, raising awareness, and promoting positive actions from each individual, as well as contributing a citizen's voice to management agencies and policymakers in the fight against plastic waste and saving the ocean."

Also present at the exhibition's opening were the United Nations Coordinator in Vietnam, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands, the Counselor of the Canadian Embassy, ​​representatives of UN organizations, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, photographers, media outlets, and a large number of people.

Plastic and nylon products have brought great convenience to human life; however, their use has had and continues to have immeasurable consequences for the environment, human health, and all living things on Earth. It takes hundreds, even thousands of years, for plastic and nylon waste to decompose.

Globally, it is estimated that up to 500 billion plastic bags are used each year, 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, 8-12 million tons of plastic leak into the sea, and it takes 400-1,000 years for plastic waste to completely decompose in the environment, resulting in the death of 100,000 marine animals due to plastic. If this trend continues, by 2050, there will be more plastic waste than fish in our seas and oceans.

As a rapidly growing country, Vietnam is facing serious environmental pollution problems that negatively impact economic development and human health, with plastic waste pollution accounting for a significant portion. With over 3,000 km of coastline along the country's length, Vietnam discharges approximately 0.28 to 0.73 million tons of plastic waste into the ocean annually through 112 river mouths. 80% of Vietnam's marine waste originates from land-based activities. These figures demonstrate that we must act immediately in the fight against plastic waste to improve the situation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, said: "Plastic waste is one of the global challenges, requiring the efforts of all countries from governments and businesses to the people." She also called for practical action such as "Say no to single-use plastic products, use environmentally friendly and locally produced products. Together we can create a greener, cleaner Vietnam."

The Save Our Seas exhibition marks the first stage of photographer Lekima Hung's personal project of the same name, summarizing his 7,000km journey across Vietnam in 2018 to collect plastic waste and save the ocean. It is also an opportunity to share about his first book, "Green Travelogue - A Journey to Save the Sea," which is expected to be released in August.

Quynh Anh