Oceans Can Save Our World from Climate Change

Oceans cover 71% of the Earth’s surface and play a critical role in regulating the climate. They absorb heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and they provide a home for a vast array of marine life.

Climate change is a major threat to oceans. As the Earth’s temperature rises, oceans become warmer and more acidic. This is harming marine life and disrupting ocean ecosystems.

At the Ibrahim Governance Weekend, a meeting was held to discuss how to protect oceans from climate change as we empower the blue economy potential. The meeting was attended by representatives from Africa, Europe, and the United States.

During the Ibrahim Governance Weekend, the discussions around using oceans in a sustainable manner and ensuring the protection of marine life were delved into with a search for solutions, mitigations, and adaptations that can increase resilience.

oceans

Through a meeting on Blue Economy and Oceans Governance, chaired by the Africa-Europe Foundation, a unification of efforts for the achievement of marine protection was called for at a continental level.

The discussions sank deeper into understanding the gaps between the maritime sector and people that are affecting employment rates. As solutions around doing away with ocean pollution are to be fronted, the question of supporting indigenous communities bordering the waters was considered vital.

The essence of supporting these communities that are directly affected by the sea levels around oceans was arrived at with consideration of the vast blue economy opportunities unexploited.

To achieve this, Kenyan Ambassador of the Maritime Nancy Karigithu called for urgency in investing in the sector and rolling out capacity-building programs.

The Ambassador revealed that inadequate financing of these projects had been a major hindrance In terms of marine job ability, marine security, and innovations within the sector.

“Funding is one of the main ingredients towards achieving this goal and setting the oceans free from pollution through collective action as the world embraces initiatives like the ban on plastic use, like the Kenyan ban implemented. Let’s save our oceans to gain from the blue economy massively,” said Kenyan Ambassador of the Maritime Nancy Karigithu.

According to Charlina Vitcheva, multilateral efforts by African and European voices are a major step towards dealing with marine pollution considering that global ocean pollution is a global problem not just in some parts of the world.

“If the AU-EU can work together in unison, the challenge of oceans pollution, inadequate exploitation of maritime potential, can be dealt with amicably instead of pointing fingers and blame games, let’s all rise and work together to this effect,” she said.

Advocacy plays an important role in the context of solving the ocean crisis looming as the impacts of climate change advance in causing mayhem across the globe.

With this exchange of information and consultations around the issue rising, there is an urgent need to implement policies like End plastic use, which if actualized, plays a major role in solving and easing the evident impacts of pollution.

Oceans were identified to play a vital role in driving solutions for climate resilience, by reducing the impacts that involve mangrove replanting, sustainable fishing methods as well as consideration of sustainable port building.

Banking on capacity building essentiality in the maritime sector right from research to opening up of opportunities around the sector by government, and private sector playing key roles within the sector.

Research, knowledge, and innovation with technology are also core for the maritime sector as this can only be attained by support and collaboration from both public and private sectors towards enhancing productivity in this maritime sector.

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