AIS Summit Ready to be Held in Bali, Efforts to Improve the Quality of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum 2023 High Level Conference (Summit) which will be held in Bali on 10-11 October 2023 will be the start of improving the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems, which will certainly be a positive step in maintaining the sustainability of the maritime environment.
As an archipelagic country, Indonesia and other archipelagic countries have a big responsibility to maintain the sustainability of marine ecosystems which are very important for life on land and sea.
Head of the DKI Jakarta Food Security, Maritime and Agriculture (KPKP) Service, Suharini Eliawati, said that the issue of overcoming marine pollution requires regional and global cooperation.
The ocean is an important resource for life on Earth, and joint efforts to protect and keep it clean is a crucial step.
“With an agreement at regional and global levels, it can help improve the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems, especially from marine pollution by plastic waste,” said Suharini.
The momentum of the global meeting of island and archipelagic countries can be a basis for agreeing on effective joint policies in dealing with marine pollution.
Suharini explained that marine pollution often knows no national boundaries and can come from various sources throughout the world. Maritime connectivity between countries demands a collaborative approach that involves the participation of all relevant parties.
The decline in the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems is not only an environmental problem, but also has a broad impact on daily life.
“Therefore, handling plastic waste in coastal areas is important and needs to be implemented immediately,” he said.
On the other hand, Executive Director of the Center for Maritime Studies for Humanity Abdul Halim said, The four focus objectives of the AIS Summit, namely, adaptation to climate change, promotion of blue economy sustainability, handling plastic waste, and strengthening sustainable marine governance reflect a holistic approach to maintaining balance and sustainability of the ocean. .
“From the four focuses above, the Indonesian government needs to utilize its delegation to campaign for substance, management models and bilateral/multilateral cooperation that can be oriented towards the prosperity of the people based on natural resources that are managed sustainably and responsibly,” said Halim.
Halim explained that cooperation between countries to learn and adopt environmentally friendly investment management practices could be an important step in maintaining the sustainability of the blue economy.
Involving traditional or small-scale fishermen in this process not only empowers them economically, but also supports the sustainability of the marine ecosystem which is their main source of livelihood.
