About This Outfall
This profile documents the river outfall ranked #57 of 31,819 points in the Meijer et al. (2021) global model of riverine plastic emissions. The model places the outfall at 18.9838°N, 72.8150°E in South Asia, draining to the Indian Ocean, with a modeled emission of 2,038 metric tons per year.[1]
Meijer et al. (2021) publishes a modeled emission value for every outfall point, but its human-reviewed river names (Supplementary Table S5) cover only the 50 highest-ranked points. This outfall sits below that cutoff, so this page identifies it by rank and coordinates rather than by a name. Plastic Bank flags rather than guesses: a river name will be added only once it can be verified against hydrographic references.[1]
At 2,038 metric tons per year, this point accounts for 0.2% of the combined modeled total across all 31,819 outfalls.[1] In the ranking it sits between the outfall ranked #56 (2,067 metric tons per year) and the outfall ranked #58 (1,949 metric tons per year). For scale, the lowest-ranked named river in the dataset, the Hamulauon River (#50), is modeled at 2,170 metric tons per year.[1]
In South Asia the model repeatedly ranks urban coastal drains and mid-size rivers above famous continental rivers. Distance to the coast is one reason: plastic entering a short coastal catchment is far more likely to reach the ocean than plastic entering an interior basin far upstream.[1] Collection coverage and disposal infrastructure shape how much plastic enters the water in the first place.[2]
Key Facts
- RegionSouth Asia
- Ocean basinIndian Ocean
- Modeled emission (rank #57)2,038 metric tons per year[1]
- Share of modeled global total0.2% of the combined total across all 31,819 modeled outfall points[1]
- Representative coordinates18.9838°N, 72.8150°E
- Name statusNot named in the study’s reviewed river table (Table S5 covers the top 50 outfalls); identified here by rank and coordinates
Methodology Note
Figures cited are modeled estimates from global-scale studies; they are not direct measurements from continuous monitoring at this outfall. This point also carries no verified river name in the source data. Use this profile for relative priority and regional context, not as a definitive audited mass balance.
River Outfall 57 FAQ
How much modeled plastic emission is associated with this outfall?
The Meijer et al. (2021) framework reports 2,038 metric tons per year for the outfall ranked #57 of 31,819 modeled points. The value is a modeled annual estimate, not a continuous field measurement at the outfall.
Why doesn't this outfall have a river name?
The underlying study publishes human-reviewed river names only for the 50 highest-ranked outfalls in its supplementary material. Below that cutoff, points are identified by coordinates. Plastic Bank does not guess names; this page will carry a name once one can be verified against hydrographic references.
Are these figures direct measurements?
No. The figures on this page come from global-scale modeling that blends waste statistics, population layers, hydrology, precipitation, and distance-to-coast assumptions. They are best used for relative priority and context, not as literal tonnage measured by a permanent gauge.
Sources
- Meijer, L.J.J. et al. (2021). "More than 1000 rivers account for 80% of global riverine plastic emissions into the ocean." Science Advances, 7(18). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz5803
- UNEP (2021). "From Pollution to Solution: A Global Assessment of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution." View report