Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 30 November 2023 – The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum organised a high-level dialogue entitled “Rising Tides, Sinking Island: AIS Forum’s Call to Action on Climate Loss and Damage” which took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This dialogue was carried out in collaboration with the AIS Forum Secretariat and the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenkomarves), as part of the AIS Forum’s concrete action in advocating crucial issues faced by archipelagic and island countries. One of them is sea level rise because of climate change.
Held at the Indonesian Pavilion, this dialogue session was one of the opening sessions of a series of activities carried out by the Indonesian Government in its participation in COP28 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Dubai. Attended as speakers were Jodi Mahardi, Deputy for Maritime Sovereignty and Energy Coordination of the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment, Amena Yauvoli, Ambassador of the Republic of Fiji to Indonesia, and Flavien P. Joubert, Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change, and the Environment of the Republic of Seychelles. Meanwhile, Stacey Alvares de la Campa from Island Innovation Barbados moderated the dialogue that ran for about 1.5 hours.
The challenge of climate change faced by archipelagic and island countries is a crucial issue discussed in this high-level dialogue. One of the most prominent problems is the massive rise in sea levels due to increasing melting of ice sheets, glaciers, and thermal expansion of the sea. AIS countries are generally the first to be affected by this threat.
Ambassador Amena stated that rising sea levels are a real threat to the Pacific region. “We have experienced this challenge in Fiji and other Pacific countries. “We (Fiji) have relocated coastal communities because their areas are affected by rising sea levels,” he explained.
Likewise, Minister Joubert revealed that coastal communities are now increasingly aware of the threat of climate change and are starting to work hard to take mitigation steps to protect marine ecosystems, even if only through small steps. “One example is their increasing awareness of the importance to maintain the sustainability of marine ecosystems, such as the effort to protect the existence of seaweed for coastal ecosystems.” he said.
In responding to this, Deputy Mahardi said that the common challenges faced by island countries were the main reasons for Indonesia to initiate the AIS Forum. “Common challenges need to be faced collectively. “That’s why Indonesia invited archipelagic and island countries to jointly take concrete steps to resolve it,” explained Deputy Mahardi.
Furthermore, Deputy Mahardi explained that one of the concrete efforts to foster collaboration in archipelagic and island countries had been carried out by the AIS Forum through the adoption of the AIS Leader’s Declaration at the AIS Forum High Level Meeting last October. AIS Countries call for the importance of global awareness, collaboration and intervention through the AIS Forum as an affirmation of the inherent rights of island countries to live, prosper and maintain their unique identity.
As part of the final resolutions of the COP 28 in Dubai this year, the discussions provided confirmations in taking strategic steps to deal with the issue of rising sea levels in island and archipelagic countries. Through this dialogue, the AIS Forum provided an open space to exchange ideas, solutions and take resolutions to common problems.(*)
