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News & Updates Who's Who Talks to protect food security, emission cut
News & Updates Who's Who Talks to protect food security, emission cut
May
11
2009
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The inaugural World Ocean Conference (WOC) will kick off Monday, with the target of getting a consensus from participating countries on the role of the ocean in dealing with human-induced climate change and in protecting food security. Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi, who is also executive chairman of the conference, talked to The Jakarta Post's Adianto P. Simamora about the benefits and the significance of the conference and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security Summit in saving the livelihoods of coastal communities across the globe. The following is an excerpt from the interview. Question: What are the benefits to Indonesia from hosting the World Ocean Conference?Answer: The idea to host an ocean international conference first came after the Bali climate change conference in December 2007. We noted only one sideline meeting, out of 800 sessions, discussed ocean issues at the conference. It is not fair, since the ocean is also believed to play an important role in climate change with its ability to absorb carbon. Carbon is the main contributor to global warming. Since then, we've tried to raise the ocean and climate issues in a series of international meetings. We communicated the idea of having an ocean conference with other countries and the United Nations. I also raised the ocean issue at the Nairobi meeting last year. To my surprise, many countries threw their weight behind our idea and proposed Indonesia take the lead in pushing ocean issues on climate talks. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also promoted the coral protection issues of the CTI, including during his recent state visit to Brazil. We decided to host the conference in May to give us enough time to bring the results of the Manado conference to climate talks, including in Bonn in July, before the Copenhagen climate conference in December. I hope we can reach a consensus among all delegates at the Manado conference about the role of the oceans in dealing with climate change. I also hope, after the conference, that ocean issues will become a concern among countries and raise the global community's awareness of the importance of protecting the oceans. It is not only about reducing emissions but most importantly it is to save the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people living mainly in coastal areas and for food security across the world. How about the oceans' role in protecting food security? We also want to raise public awareness and promote the idea that oceans can play vital roles in food security, because climate change will severely threaten the lives of people, mainly those along coastal areas. Rising sea levels and higher sea temperatures will directly impact the sustainability of marine ecosystems and coral reefs. It is the coastal communities who will suffer first from climate change impacts. If small countries with no farmland or livestock have to depend solely on marine resources, how can they sustain their livelihoods if no action is taken to protect the oceans? We need urgent action to preserve the contributions of oceans to food security through marine protection programs. The CTI is aimed at protecting 75,000 square kilometers of coral reefs in six countries, where about 120 million people depend on ocean resources. There is also a need to make a map of coral reef protection centers to allow the next generation to be able to keep eating fish. Rich nations should also pay attention and help countries vulnerable to climate change by providing them with alternative ways of making a living. Coastal communities have suffered from climate change impacts that are mostly due to huge emissions from rich nations. So adaptation and mitigation are needed to address poverty in coastal communities. But many countries are still reluctant to talk about mitigation of climate change in oceans, for fear it would call for emissions cuts. Many fear the implementation of the CTI could threaten the sovereignty of member states, including Indonesia. What do you say to that? It is not true. There is no need to worry about a treat to sovereignty. The CTI summit in Manado will come up with a declaration by the six countries' leaders on coral reefs, fisheries and food security, with the main goal of addressing threats to marine and coastal ecosystems. We will have a regional plan of action as an umbrella for the implementation of the CTI, while each country should make its national action plan. This will not touch on sovereignty. Could you explain the road map on how Indonesia should push for ocean and climate change issues at international climate talks? We have drawn up a road map for all countries attending the conference to raise the Manado declaration, if they agree, at the upcoming Bonn climate meeting in Germany. We will also work with the Climate Change National Council (DNPI) to promote the declaration at international negotiations. We hope the DNPI also talks about all aspects of climate change impacts, both on land and marine ecosystems. It should be made in one package. |
| Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 May 2009 12:24 |
