The International Union for Conservation of Nature is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education.

1. The Mekong, the world's 12th longest river and after the Amazon, the
richest area of biodiversity in the world . 0.47 million to 2.75 million
metric tons of plastic into the oceans every year.

2. "Rivers carry trash over long distances and connect nearly
all land surfaces with the oceans, making them a major
battleground in the fight against sea pollution"~ Christian
Schmidt, hydrogeologist at the Helmholtz Center for
Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany

3.  Water pollution levels in China's major cities are extremely high. In Beijing,
39.9% of water is polluted to the point that it is essentially functionless.
 In Tianjin, northern China’s principal port city and home to 15 million people,
just 4.9% of water is usable as a drinking water source.
The Hai River connects two of
China's most populous
metropolitan areas, Tianjin and
Beijing, before flowing into one of
the world's busiest shipping
lanes, the Bohai Sea.
 It comes in fourth in the Top
Polluters' list.

4. • The Meghna-Brahmaputra-
Ganges is central to India's
spiritual life and provides
water to more than half a
billion people.
 Sewage, agricultural and
industrial waste have made
it one of the world's most
polluted rivers.
• The river Ganges is worshipped as "Ganga Mata", the divine mother who
has sustained life and nurtured civilization for thousands of years. Sewage,
industrial wastewater and the dumping of 1.2 billion pounds of plastic each
year is taking its toll on the sacred river.

5. Around 20 million people live in the Mekong Delta, many are dependent on
fishing and agriculture for survival. The river flows through six countries,
including Vietnam and Laos, and is tenth on the list of river systems that carry
most of the 8 million tons of plastic that are dumped into the seas each year.