Virtual platform
Cheryl Rita Kaur, Head of MIMA’s Centre for Coastal and Marine Environment, was invited to moderate a Webinar on “The Future Belongs to the Tropics” in conjunction with World Oceans Day (WOD) 2021.
The forum was jointly organised by the Mahathir Science Award Foundation (MSAF), the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), and the International Science Council Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ISC-ROAP) to discuss the priorities for the Asia Pacific in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030.
Panel experts and speakers at the forum
Prof. Emerita Mazlan Othman, Director of ISC-ROAP, stated in her Welcome Remarks that this session is part of an ongoing series of webinars on “The Future Belongs to the Tropics,” which will lead up to an International Conference on Tropical Sciences (TropSc) in October 2021.
Prof. Emerita Mazlan Othman during the Opening Session.
Speakers included Prof. Martin Visbeck from the GEOMAR Helmholtz – Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany; Prof. Edvin Aldrian from the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology, Indonesia; Prof. Narnia Bohler-Muller from the Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa; Maria Corazon Ebarvia from the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), Philippines; and Quek Yew Aun from Reef Stakes, Malaysia.
Prof. Martin Visbeck delivering his presentation.
The various aspects of ocean governance discussed were The UN Decade for Ocean Science, Climate Change, blue economy, youth engagement in ocean preservation, and traditional knowledge and livelihoods. The panel discussion focused on the Ocean Decade challenges, as well as regional and national goals for establishing resilient ocean and coastal communities. There were lively conversations, as well as several questions from the attendees.
Presentations discussed the Ocean Decade challenges, as well as ocean governance priorities for the region.
More than 70 people attended the event, not including the audience that watched the live webcast on Facebook, with attendees from all around the world.
The webinar recording is available at the following Facebook link:
https://fb.watch/5_Y1QF7AQI/
