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Coral reefs in Indonesia threatened by global warming: Experts
Experts have warned that coral reefs located in a global marine area called the "Coral Triangle", which spans territorial waters of Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands Timor Leste and Indonesia were at risk of further degradation due climate change
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xperts have warned that coral reefs located in a global marine area called the "Coral Triangle", which spans territorial waters of Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands Timor Leste and Indonesia were at risk of further degradation due climate change.
Without a concerted effort to protect Indonesian waters from natural and man-made disasters, marine life living in coral reefs will go extinct, they added.
'The impact of global warming can be felt, especially in Indonesia as an archipelagic nation. If the water temperature continues to increase, reaching 2 degrees Celsius [from normal levels] coral reefs will suffer,' Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) chief executive officer Ali Tauqeer Sheikh said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report in Yogyakarta, which is being held from Nov. 10 to Nov.13.
Ali Taugeer added that Indonesia was one of several countries whose coral reefs, as a habitat for fish-spawning, were still in good condition. With climate change, however, he said coral reefs were at risk, as were the marine species they supported.
It is probable that with ongoing global warming, certain species of fish will go extinct,' said Ali Taugeer, adding that climate change also affected the economy of coastal communities.
Doddy S. Sukardi, a low-carbon emissions development adviser at the National Council on Climate Change Indonesia, said a more concerted effort needed to be undertaken among Indonesia and other countries to keep the rise in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius.
"One effort now jointly conducted is promoting a CO2 reduction movement. In Indonesia, for instance, there is an effort to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions by using low-carbon energy,' said Doddy. (ebf) (++++)
