World Ocean Conference to invite UN to fund adaptation

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 25 Apr 09;

Next month's World Ocean Conference (WOC) in Manado, North Sulawesi, is to focus on adaptation measures to help address the adverse impacts of climate change on the marine sector.

WOC national organizing committee deputy secretary Gellywynn Jusuf said the meeting will invite the United Nations to help provide funding for adaptation programs.

"We will invite the adaptation fund board from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for the funding to achieve the integrated coastal and ocean management of climate change," he told the press Friday.

Gellywynn admitted that funding was crucial to help restore the damaged marine and coastal ecosystem and protect them in the future, particularly fish stocks.

The WOC will take place on May 11 to May 15 and will involve ministerial level officials and other government delegates from 121 countries.

As of April, around 50 countries had confirmed their plans to send delegates to the conference.

Gellywynn said the conference would also strive to include marine issues at the Copenhagen meeting in Denmark to be held at the end of this year.

"We hope the protection of oceans will be promoted following the Kyoto Protocol in 2012," he said.

The adaptation fund board was set up by the UNFCCC to provide cash for developing countries to adapt to the impact of climate change, including shortages of food and water, coastal flooding and the spread of disease vectors.

From the sale of carbon, 2 percent of all sales go toward the funding initiative.

But the UNFCCC has not yet included adaptation programs for the marine sector.

"So far, discussions on oceans and climate change have revolved around the impacts of rising sea levels. We want further discussion on oceans in the context of climate change," Gellywynn said.

Indonesia hosted the world's biggest international climate change conference in Bali in 2007, resulting in a Bali road map for the establishment of a new protocol on emission cuts after 2012.

The Bali conference also adopted the reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) as an alternative to slashing emissions.

Gellywynn admitted that the country had not yet conducted specific research into whether oceans had the capacity to absorb or release carbon.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is widely blamed for global warming that causes climate change.

On the sidelines of the WOC, the heads of the Coral Triangle countries - Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands - plan to launch a Coral Triangle Initiative on the protection of reefs, fish and food.

They will adopt a CTI regional plan of action to conserve and manage sustainable coastal and marine environments with the Coral Triangle countries.

"The implementation of the CTI is still voluntary for each nation," Gellywynn said.

The donor countries have granted US$70 million through the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) for the conservation of coral reefs within the region.