Saving the Ocean

…and the role played by the UN Decade of Ocean

The Importance of Ocean and Need for Preservation

The human population is heavily dependent on the oceans, now more than ever. It is the direct source of livelihood and employment for over 500 million people and a major part of this number resides in the poor and underdeveloped nations of the world.

Ocean economies provide multifarious benefits to a number of sectors ranging from energy production, fishing industry, tourist industry, transport industry, seabed resource exploration, among many others.

The Extent of Damage

According to the First World Ocean Assessment 2016, a major percentage of the ocean is now damaged beyond repair. There are losses and changes in its structure, and the marine systems have lost some of their previous benefits and functions. However, this is not the zenith of the damage that oceans could face. The threat and adverse impact to the health of oceans and marine ecosystems will only increase as the human population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050.

A Prospective Turning Point

It is speculated that 2021 might be a turning point for getting climate change under control. The Ocean Decade claims to provide a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for countries all over the world to strive towards a more sustainable global ocean system together. It was in December 2017 that the declaration for this ambitious project was proclaimed. It is in alliance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as it assigns a common framework to help countries achieve the above-mentioned goal.

Threats to the Ocean

The threats faced by oceans are steadily increasing. These threats are taking the form of ocean acidification, marine pollution, and a drastic decrease in marine biodiversity. Human activity is the source of all these threats. Even if the status quo is maintained, or worse, if the threats continue to increase in intensity, the global population will face severe consequences in the coming decades. Climatic fluctuations, population boom and increased pressure on the environment will leave human livelihood and especially food security, under serious danger. The sources of these threats must be checked.

UN Decade of Ocean

The United Nations has declared 2021–2030 to be the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The aim of this initiative is to restore and preserve the marine ecosystem worldwide. The main target is to find ocean stakeholders willing to support the sustainable development of oceans.

The Objectives of the Ocean Decade -

1. Increase the pool of scientific knowledge
2. Improve infrastructure where it is needed
3. Encourage partnerships needed for promoting sustainability
4. Amass information and data that would help in policy formation for a healthier and sustainable ocean ecosystem

The breakthroughs that the Decade hopes to achieve are -

1. Bridge the gaps in knowledge — The Decade hopes to accomplish this through integrated research. Through this, the missing or the weak links would be identified and addressed. There is enough knowledge to proceed and take the first step, and as the movement progresses, new knowledge will be discovered through intense research.
2. Promote action at the different levels — The Decade provides a unified framework for seeking scientific solutions towards a common problem of deteriorating ocean health and for the promotion of sustainability. This entails that major investments will be done for the same. According to the Global Ocean Science Report, the ocean science sector receives between 3 per cent to 4 per cent of the total expenditure dedicated towards research and development. This meagre percentage will increase substantially now that ocean science has become a priority and there will be more investment for it.
3. Promote global environment activism — Through its unified framework, increased investment and better research, the Ocean Decade strives to incite countries and communities worldwide to take part in the pro-ocean and pro sustainability movement.

Apart from helping countries reach their common goal of sustainable development, Ocean Decade will also strengthen international cooperation required to conduct scientific study and develop innovative technologies needed to preserve the oceans.

For this initiative to be successful, cooperation from governments, scientists, industrialists and global citizens are required. Already, there are a great number of organizations and individuals focused on the common goal of preserving the ocean. But the Ocean Decade provides an opportunity for all these environment and ocean stakeholders to unify their resources and expertise to be successful in their mission to save the ocean.

Conclusion

The steep rise in the levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases is causing a modification of ocean ecosystems all over the planet. A reduction in the pH level of the ocean, which signifies increased acidification has showcased its disastrous consequences for the coral reefs around the world. These threats need to be eliminated in order to conserve oceans.

Also read — Climate Change is happening NOW , Increasing Ocean Acidification and Will We Keep Driving Off The Climate Cliff?