The Oceans Alive Conservation Trust - Rivers To Ocean Project investigates what is happening to rivers in South Africa. From source to ocean, we will look at formal and informal settlements, municipalities, sewage, chemical spills, mining, construction and development, landfills, dumpsites and plastic pollution. The impact our actions have on the environment and how this contributes to the decline of healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. 

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To fully comprehend what is happening to our  Ocean  we need to understand what is happening on land and what is going into the water, into our rivers and why. Rivers to Ocean is a South African based project for now, however  polluted rivers is a global issue and we encourage global organizations to join hands to conserve and protect the water and our Ocean. 

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"World's Rivers and Streams Leak a Lot of Carbon Dioxide. The researchers calculated that all the planet's inland waters contribute about 2.1 gigatonnes of carbon to the atmosphere each year. Rivers and streams, which cover some 241,000 square miles (624,000 square kilometers) of the Earth, release about 1.8 gigatonnes of carbon each year" - Smithsonian Mag

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Rivers are a surprisingly large source of greenhouse gases, and water pollution makes their emissions worse. Earth systems are intimately interconnected, yet most biogeochemical studies focus on specific components in isolation. The movement of water drives the carbon cycle, and, as such, inland waters provide a critical intersection between terrestrial and marine biospheres. With failing sewage plants in South Africa and the increase of plastic pollution and informal settlements along rivers, we are concerned about the health of our rivers and the Ocean. 

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