Turning the Tide on Ocean Pollution: How WWF-India and Automation Anywhere are Driving Real Change

The urgent challenge of ocean pollution

It’s estimated that there are currently 86 million to 150 million metric tons of plastic accumulated in our oceans, with more being added every day. It’s a numerical range that is hard to fathom.

Plastic pollution in the ocean threatens entire marine ecosystems, as animals mistake floating plastic debris for food and can become entangled or suffocated by it. It’s a global issue that can feel overwhelming, but World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) is tackling it head-on.

A collaborative solution: WWF-India and Automation Anywhere

In 2023, WWF-India partnered with Automation Anywhere to tackle the growing issue of plastic waste in our oceans by leveraging AI and automation. Their vision: to create a system that could detect and monitor floating plastic debris using remote sensing technology. The project's goal is to develop an automated system that identifies plastics in remote sensing images through advanced machine learning techniques.

WWF-India is harnessing these tools to map plastic pollution along the coastline of Odisha, Eastern India. By pinpointing areas with the highest concentrations of plastic debris, they can prioritize conservation efforts, implement targeted mitigation strategies, and shape sustainable policies for managing plastic waste.

Mapping the impact along Odisha's coastline

WWF-India created a technology called a Floating Debris Index (FDI) for this project. This index detects and quantifies floating debris on water surfaces using satellite imagery. In October 2023, WWF-India identified nearly 1,400 debris locations in Odisha’s coastal region and 3,000+ debris locations in June 2024, demonstrating significant pollution.

The data it gathered has allowed WWF-India to map which regions along the coast are most detrimentally affected and where the debris likely originated. For instance, it hypothesizes that the October debris came from the Mahanadi River, based on the mapped presence of debris at the river mouth, which is especially prevalent during monsoon season (typically June to September). The findings estimate that the Mahanadi River distributes more than 81 million pounds of plastic into the ocean every year.

Understanding the movement of ocean debris

A variety of environmental factors impact the movement of ocean debris in the studied area. During the monsoon season, WWF-India found that ocean currents and wind patterns can significantly influence debris movement along the Odisha coast.

Adding in other factors, such as local currents and river outflows, the result is complex and variable debris distribution patterns. This is an example of why technology is a game-changing tool for this kind of work. Keeping up with the debris movement patterns manually would be time-consuming and likely less accurate.

Turning data into action for conservation efforts

After assessing all the FDI data, WWF-India has selected the areas on the Odisha coastline that require higher attention for plastic waste monitoring and mitigation plans. The organization will use the data set to pinpoint critical locations for targeted intervention.

Through the innovative application of geospatial technology, WWF-India and Automation Anywhere are not just detecting plastic debris—we’re leading a global movement towards a cleaner planet. Our collaboration demonstrates that when technology and environmental stewardship unite, we transform challenges into actionable solutions.“ - Dr. Gopala Areendran, Director of Tech for Conservation at WWF-India

Harnessing technology for good

We at Automation Anywhere are honored to partner with WWF-India for this project because we believe deeply in leveraging technology to tackle social and environmental challenges. AI and automation are helping expedite WWF-India's solutions to pollution reduction, which would otherwise require much more manual time and resources.

Learn about how Automation Anywhere uses technology for good.