Climate love
Image of DIPANJANA MAULIK
DIPANJANA MAULIK

9 w

Image of UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea

UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea

Climate love

Urgent capping initiatives of the steep rise in global temperature demands immediate actions in our oceanic front

World ocean day was observed on 7th June 2024 through an interesting three-hour twenty minutes programme. Recently, UN Secretary General informed through press briefing the July 2024 is hottest month. Persistent red colors in the temperature chart indicates that 1.5-degree temperature threshold is almost crossed. The solution to this climate challenge is also hidden in depth of deep blue ocean. Awakening to that depths of ocean shall bring the much desired changes. Dangers of red rising temperature can be pacified by regeneration of treasures of blue oceans.
With this notion this programme is designed. Dr J Rockstrom, Director of Postsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research how the daily sea surface temperature is decisively increasing over years between 1979-2024 March 3rd [ @ 36:33 mint]. Ocean is suddenly showing faster increase in temperature rise since 2023 and this is the bad news. The deep ocean has always acted as a reservoir of heat but change in bicarbonate content can turn this enormous sink of heat to source of heat. NOAA has already confirmed that fourth large coral bleaching has taken place after previous three incidents in 1998, 2010 and 2016. Fifty percent og great Barrier Reef is now gone.
Earth system is losing its resilience. Dr Rockstorm showed the temperature cycles of past 4000000 years [ @ 39:17 sec] and the weather was most stable during last 10000 years. This stability helped humans to develop human civilization. Unfortunately, this stability is now at stake. Uncontrolled greenhouse emissions and absorbance of same in ocean is destabilizing the earth's balance. 5 out of 16 tipping points are going to cross threshold [42:39 sec]. Six out of nine boundaries are transgressed [44:15 s].
Till now only 10 percent of ocean is known to humans, which is providing 60 million jobs and absorbing 25% f global carbon emissions.
The good news is that massive actions are being planned by "awakening" to depth of ocean. An international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use, use of maritime biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction has been made. His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis informed about the preparatory meeting, which is scheduled to be held in July 2024. General Assembly has established a preparatory commission to bring it into force. A legally binding treaty on plastic pollution is underway. Nine Small Islands under SID led by Vanuatu won a successful ruling from tribunal of the sea that carbon emission can be considered as a sea pollutant. Nations shall be required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ocean under this ruling. A conference shall take place on sea level rise on 25th September 2024 and on First May 2025, Ocean Action Summit shall take place for UNSDG 14 (United Nation Sustainable Development Goal 14).
Other leaders of UN and Costa Rica also put their hope on upcoming ocean summit in 2025.
Professor Noakoa Ishii of University of Tokyo prescribed 4x4 systems to be transformed by four action levers like decarbonatization, sustainable cities, sustainable production, sustainable food, land and water.
Sylvia and Mexican young lady as a beautiful intergenerational team championed the need of activism and storytelling to conserve grey whales and all other marine friends.
Darek Blasberg reminded that ocean has a memory, and we should tap it. The sharks inspire us to dive deeper and to create laws and policies that saves ocean and humans.
Iman Mounir of Egypt in her energetic voice reminded how 2660 sq km farming in Nile delta was thriving in the past. Deltas are one of the beautiful gifts of ocean systems across the world. She cited that Nature Based Systems help in solving few of complex problems, which are faced by delta due to climate change and other factors.
Projects are being taken to listen to songs by healthy coral reefs in 160 locations. The sound of fishes and corals at dusk provides valuable information about marine health. Excellent photography competitions are being organized to strengthen the bonding between people and oceans.
Thoughtful panel discussion on blue economy reminded mainstreaming of costal economy for ensuring equitable access and protection of ocean health and rebuilding the dwindling bio-reserves of ocean that sustain poorer people should be primary objectives of blue economy. 30 million people of coastal community is feeding 500 million poor and blue economy should fortify these coastal communities. Exciting works are being done in Zangiber to Philippines, which needs to be replicated in other islands [ @ 2:43:44 sec and @ 2:58:33 sec]. Building networks of change and investing on building ocean resiliency should be main objectives.
The entire programme was interlaced with songs and music by the singers. Awakening to depth is awakening us to awaken to connect with oceans more deeply and to act in time.
UN World Oceans Day – Jun 07, 2024–Jun 07, 2024

UN World Oceans Day – Jun 07, 2024–Jun 07, 2024

Watch UN World Oceans Day 2024 – Awaken New Depths live on We Don't Have Time

https://www.wedonthavetime.org/events/worldoceansday2024#Register




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