TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Tropical Indonesia eyes Arctic Council
Having felt the impact of the sea-level rise and coastal inundation associated with climate change, Indonesia now wants to become an observer at the Arctic Council
Change Size
H
span>Having felt the impact of the sea-level rise and coastal inundation associated with climate change, Indonesia now wants to become an observer at the Arctic Council.
Established in 1996, the Arctic Council is an intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation between Arctic countries in the resource-rich region and has been trying to balance the challenge of climate change with the economic opportunities of a warming Arctic, such as new shipping routes and the exploration of untapped oil and gas reserves.
The council is made up of eight Arctic nations: Iceland, Russia, Canada, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Observer status, however, is open to non-Arctic states approved by the council at its ministerial-level meeting held every two years. The last ministerial meeting was held in Oslo from May 6 to 7.
“By becoming a permanent observer, we can learn about climate change mitigation and have better access to data,” the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister’s deputy assistant for maritime navigation and safety, Odo Manuhutu, said in a press statement on Wednesday.
Citing 2014 data from a Semarang-based university in Central Java, which shows that the coast near Semarang has been affected by climate change, the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister said it had the idea of Indonesia bidding for observer status at the Arctic Council since 2017.
The 2014 data from Diponegoro University’s Center for Coastal Rehabilitation and Disaster Mitigation show a 2.6-kilometer retreat of the coast near the Semarang-Demak border since 1991. It also recorded that 2,075 hectares of coastland land have disappeared in Bedono, Demak because of the rising sea level and erosion.
The latest report from the United Nations Environment Program shows that a rise in temperatures in the Arctic — twice the global average — thawed permafrost and melted snow and ice caps, contributing to rising sea levels, which would affect coastal and island communities throughout the world.
On Wednesday, the ministry held a discussion in Semarang involving various stakeholders — including government agencies and experts — to compile documents of urgency as a condition for submitting Indonesia’s observer status bid.
Last year, the ministry held a series of discussions and consultations with related stakeholders — during which they identified a number of key issues in the Arctic Council that were of interest to Indonesia: climate change, access to knowledge and research, energy security and potential new shipping routes.
“Considering such potential benefits of being an observer, we have agreed to submit a proposal for Indonesia to become an observer country at the council,” Odo said.
Indonesia’s intention reportedly has been supported by the Arctic Council Secretariat as well as Iceland, which chairs the council for the 2019-2021 term.
Five Asian countries are observers in the Arctic Council since 2013: Japan, China, India, Singapore and South Korea.
Muhammad Helmi, a Diponegoro University researcher who attended Wednesday’s forum, said Indonesia should take part in global efforts to address climate change and prevent its devastating impacts.
“Semarang alone recorded about 1.7 km of coastline retreat due to sea abrasion between 1991 and 2010, and around 1211.2 ha of land have been lost [to abrasion],” he said.
On Thursday, officials from the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister and representatives from other government bodies toured Semarang and Demak to assess the locations affected by climate change-related natural disasters. (dis)
