World Water Day Beach Clean-up 2026

14 Machi 2026
Ununio Beach, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Kwa sasa, ripoti zinapatikana kwa Kiingereza.

Twenty participants joined a beach clean-up at Ununio, collecting six bags of waste and auditing three of them while building practical conservation skills.

Beach clean-up volunteers posing together with bags and tools on the shoreline.

About this report

Report theme: Where Water Flows, Equality Flows.

Prepared by Ilakiza Jackson (ilakizar@gmail.com).

Introduction

In commemoration of World Water Day 2026, under the theme “Water and Gender” and the message “Where water flows, equality grows,” THINK GREEN Environmental Club organized a beach cleanup at Ununio.

This initiative aimed to translate awareness into practical environmental action, emphasizing the importance of protecting water bodies while empowering youth and communities to take responsibility for environmental conservation.

Participation and engagement

The activity brought together 20 participants, including youth, community members, and primary school students. Despite an initial challenge of heavy morning rainfall, participants remained committed. After a few hours, the team gathered at the beach energized, motivated, and ready to take action.

This resilience reflects the strong commitment of young people toward environmental stewardship.

Volunteers holding an open waste bag and a cleaning tool on the beach.

Two volunteers collecting litter into a large bag on the shoreline.

A volunteer bending down to collect litter from the sand.

Young participants helping collect litter beside the ocean.

Participants listening to a speaker in a covered meeting space.

Volunteers standing around collected materials during a waste audit.

Key activities conducted

Beach cleanup and waste collection
Waste sorting and auditing
Community engagement and awareness
Youth participation in hands-on conservation

The cleanup focused on removing waste; particularly plastic pollution, which formed the majority of collected materials.

Participants seated together during a group discussion.

Participants raising their arms during a group activity in the meeting space.

A participant in a green shirt speaking to the seated group.

Volunteers sorting collected beach waste for an audit.

A participant speaking during the clean-up group discussion.

Three participants listening together in the covered meeting space.

Participants applauding during a group session.

Two participants standing together during a group activity.

Participants smiling and applauding in the covered meeting space.

Participants taking part in a group discussion after the clean-up.

Volunteers sorting beach litter while other participants observe.

Young participants seated in the covered meeting space.

Waste collection and key findings

A total of 6 bags of waste were collected, with detailed auditing conducted on 3 bags.

Key observations

Plastic waste dominated (bottles, packaging, cups, bottle caps)
High presence of single-use plastics such as ice cream packs and plastic wrappers
Presence of cigarette waste and cosmetic materials
Small amounts of e-waste and medical-related waste

These findings highlight the urgent need for:

Improved waste management systems
Reduction of single-use plastics
Increased public awareness and behavior change

Partnerships and collaboration

Global Platform

We extend our sincere appreciation to Global Platform for sponsoring essential cleaning materials, including brooms, gloves, and trash sacks. Their continued support clearly demonstrates a strong commitment to empowering youth-led environmental initiatives and enabling communities to take action in conservation efforts.

Ilaz Montessori School

Special thanks to Ilaz Montessori School for involving primary school students in the cleanup. Their participation reflects a strong commitment to early environmental education, ensuring children understand, value, and actively engage in protecting the environment in their daily lives.

Sanemare Organization

We appreciate Sanemare Organization for conducting the waste auditing and analysis process. This provided participants with practical skills and emphasized the importance of data collection in creating reports that can drive advocacy and policy change for the conservation of natural resources such as water.

Ununio Local Government

We also acknowledge the Ununio local government for their cooperation and support, which played a key role in ensuring the success of this activity.

Impact of the initiative

This cleanup demonstrated that celebrating water goes beyond awareness; it requires action.

Through this initiative, we:

Removed harmful waste from the beach ecosystem
Prevented pollution from entering marine environments
Empowered youth with practical conservation skills
Strengthened community engagement in environmental protection

Most importantly, the activity reinforced THINK GREEN’s ongoing commitment to building a generation of environmentally responsible leaders.

Conclusion

The World Water Day 2026 beach cleanup at Ununio was a success despite weather challenges, proving that collective action can drive meaningful environmental impact.

We proudly celebrate all THINK GREENERS and partners who contributed to this initiative. Their dedication continues to advance our mission of ensuring a clean, safe, and healthy environment for both people and all species.