During the session there were presentations from Prof Mel Austen (Blue Communities Programme Director), Mr. Andrew Bell (North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), Dr Radisti Praptiwi (Universitas Nasional, Indonesia), Prof Lota Creencia (Western Philippines University), Prof Lora Fleming (University of Exeter) and Dr Hong Ching (University of Malaya).
Together, the presentations summarised the structure of the programme, its transdisciplinary nature and covered topics such as the beneficial impact of marine environments on human health, building research capacity in sustainable planning and management, the application of satellite data for marine management, food security and supporting Early Career Researchers (ECRs).
Session discussions focused on impact optimisation including: linking the Blue Communities programme to the UN Decade of Ocean Science initiative; linking outcomes and processes to develop innovative finance mechanisms; the benefits of multi-national collaboration in transdisciplinary research, and integrated marine planning supported by the evidence from transdisciplinary research.
This year saw the Congress celebrate “25 Years of Partnerships for Healthy Oceans, People and Economies: Moving as One with the Global Ocean Agenda” and is open to a broad range of stakeholders including: national and local governments; the United Nations system; intergovernmental organizations; bilateral and multi-lateral projects; international financial institutions; non-governmental organizations; civil society organizations; academic institutions; scientific community; private sector, and other stakeholders. For further information visit www.pemsea.org.
Source: www.blue-communities.org
