www.chinaview.cn 13 May 09;
MANADO, Indonesia, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesia's Marine and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi warned on Wednesday that the country's map would have to be redrawn in the next decades as many islands are sinking.
"When associated with climate change, the world 'sinking' resonates deeply in Indonesia. Of the nation's approximately 17,500 islands, many barely stick out of the water. With global warming on the surge and sea level climbing, the country's map was likely to be redrawn in the decades to come as islands went under," said the minister in the World Ocean Conference (WOC) here.
According to him, the report by environmental expert Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg presented Wednesday on the Global Ocean Policy Day is one of scientifically-based data needed to further understand risks and find the solutions to challenges facing the people of the Coral Triangle.
The minister urged scientists attending an international symposium on ocean science, technology and policy here to provide compelling data of ocean and climate change in order to make the ocean worth to be discussed along with climate change issue.
"We can use the relevant information on the climate, biology, economics and social characteristics for our reference in bringing up the process of the WOC," the minister said.
He added that the resulting analysis assembled a picture of why these challenges were increasing and how uncontrolled climate change would destroy life along the Coral Triangle coastline.
"The report also presents a future alternate to this worst-case scenario and shows how actions taken today could lead to a situation where climate change in the Coral Triangle is challenging but manageable," he said.
In the analysis, Professor Guldberg warned that coral reefs would be disappeared by the end of the century if the world did not take effective action on climate change, resulting in 80 percent of declining ability for the region's coastal environment to feed people and the livelihood of around 100 million people would have lost or severely impacted.
Editor: Xiong Tong
