In her interview with the National Geographic on 8 11월, Francesca Santoro, Programme Specialist of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, explained the importance of the Ocean Literacy programme, highlighting the fundamental role of the ocean in our lives and simultaneously stressing the need of our contribution in preserving it. The interview was a part of the National Geographic Fest 2021, a seven-day event aimed at encouraging a more sustainable way of living our planet by convening experts from different fields to share their stories.
In recent years, we have been experiencing a situation where climate change and global warming are increasingly threatening our planet, causing a significant deterioration of the environmental and marine conditions resulting from the phenomena such as carbon dioxide emissions, deforestation and massive pollution.
More specifically, when thinking about the ocean, what often comes to our minds are images of tragic scenarios, such as sea animals affected by plastic pollution and polar caps melting with a subsequent increase in the sea level. The ocean’s worsening situation and its consequences urgently need to be taken into consideration in the climate change debate.
At the same time, it is also extremely important to recognise the ocean as the source of solutions to combat the ongoing climate crisis, and, thus, how crucial it is to preserve it. The ocean plays a critical role in our lives although most people remain oblivious to its crucial functions. Despite being the defining feature of our planet, the ocean continues to be predominantly unexplored and understudied primarily due to the expensive costs of oceanographic research.
In this context, the participation of Francesca Santoro, IOC-UNESCO Ocean Literacy Programme Specialist, the National Geographic Fest 2021 was extremely enlightening. She clarified the importance of preserving the ocean, while transporting the theme of the ocean to a wider audience by making it more accessible. Interviewed by Marco Cattaneo, Director of National Geographic Italia, she explained what the ocean offers us and why we need to take care of it.
There are a number of different reasons to thank the ocean, ranging over different fields. Among the most mundane but fundamental benefits is the production of oxygen, which is produced from 50 to 80% in the sea by the phytoplankton; and climate regulation, which allows landmass areas to be habitable.
During the interview, Santoro mentioned the benefits more directly linked to human health, for instance, being near the sea can improve the heart rate and blood pressure. More specifically, she underlined that “the ocean is a large pharmacy open to us all.”, It is astonishing to learn the possibilities of developing medicines from substances produced by organisms living in the ocean abysses, which can be used to treat severe diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer.
In the context of climate change, the ocean plays a pivotal part, in fact “the ocean is our best ally against climate change, against the climate crisis, also because, up until now, it has absorbed about 28% of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere due to antropogenic activities,” emphasised Francesca Santoro.
Nonetheless, the ocean is still not a subject of negotiation in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Instead, the preservation of the ocean and its forests should be placed at the centre of negotiations for climate action, as Santoro pointed out, “working on the restoration and regeneration of marine ecosystems is one of the solutions to the climate crisis”.
It, therefore, becomes essential to raise awareness and disseminate knowledge on the importance of the ocean’s well-being for our lives and for our planet. This can be achieved by investing more in education, which would lead to the ability to make more conscious and well-informed decisions.
The Ocean Literacy programme, pursued by Francesca Santoro, is highly relevant and useful in this context because it teaches us to understand our connection with the ocean. More importantly, having knowledge and greater awareness on the ocean’s situation is fundamental to developing solutions to the current issues. Education and information, hence, become, central elements in the safeguarding of the ocean, and contributing to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, a ten-year initiative to better understand the ocean and bring solutions for its sustainability.
In her interview with National Geographic, Francesca Santoro meticulously explained the interconnection between the ocean and human beings, also highlighting the mutual influence that exists between the two entities. Understanding this relationship is highly important and it should create a sense of collective responsibility, leading each one of us to do their part and feel, which begins with sharing knowledge and raising awareness, followed by actions. The goal is to become what Francesca Santoro called the “Ocean Generation”, in other words a generation fully aware of the significance of the ocean for our planet and, above all, a generation capable of acting.
Useful Links:
https://www.nationalgeographic.it/televisione-e-video/2021/1…
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바다의 10년 소개:
2017년 유엔 총회에서 선포된 ' 지속 가능한 발전을 위한 유엔 해양과학 10년(2021-2030)'('해양 10년')은 해양 과학과 지식 창출을 촉진하여 해양 시스템의 쇠퇴를 되돌리고 거대한 해양 생태계의 지속 가능한 발전을 위한 새로운 기회를 촉진하는 것을 목표로 합니다. 해양 10년의 비전은 '우리가 원하는 바다를 위해 필요한 과학'입니다. 해양 10년은 다양한 분야의 과학자와 이해관계자들이 해양 과학의 발전을 가속화하고 활용하는 데 필요한 과학적 지식과 파트너십을 개발하여 해양 시스템에 대한 이해를 높이고 2030 의제를 달성하기 위한 과학 기반 솔루션을 제공할 수 있는 소집 프레임워크를 제공합니다. 유엔 총회는 유네스코 정부간해양학위원회(IOC)에 10년의 준비와 이행을 조율하도록 위임했습니다.
IOC-유네스코 소개:
유네스코 정부간해양학위원회(IOC-UNESCO)는 해양, 해안 및 해양 자원의 관리를 개선하기 위해 해양 과학 분야의 국제 협력을 촉진합니다. IOC는 150개 회원국이 역량 개발, 해양 관측 및 서비스, 해양 과학 및 쓰나미 경보 분야의 프로그램을 조율하여 협력할 수 있도록 지원합니다. IOC의 활동은 평화와 지속 가능한 발전의 토대인 경제 및 사회 발전의 핵심인 지식과 역량을 개발하기 위해 과학의 발전과 그 응용을 촉진하는 유네스코의 사명에 기여하고 있습니다.
