Workshops - World Oceans Day 2015
Through thematic workshops, ocean and climate experts will discuss the ocean’s essential role in the climate and life support systems of our planet and the risks and impacts caused by ongoing climate change. Potential adaptation strategies that could help mitigate the ongoing changes should be tailored to the needs of specific actors - national and local governments, scientific communities, and the civil society - and could feed into the COP21 negotiations, and beyond that, to the post-2015 climate agenda.
Four parallel workshops are taking place in the morning. The first one studies the links between the ocean and the climate, focusing on physical and biochemical interactions such as warming and acidification. The second one focuses on the socio-economic impacts of climate change, with a special interest to the way humans and coastal ecosystems react to these challenges; the third one deals with the means to mitigate climate impacts through eco-innovations and collaboration between science and society. The fourth workshop explores ways to include the ocean dimension in climate negotiations and the post 2015 climate regime.
W1: Warming and acidification of the ocean: two sides of the same coin
10:00-12:30, Room IX
Projections have shown that, at the present rate of CO2 emissions, the acidity of ocean surface water could triple by the end of this century. Given the fact that everything is interconnected, ocean acidification impacts the food chain, biodiversity in certain ecosystems and might have a direct impact on organisms that we consume.
W2: Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Change
10:00-12:30, Room IV
Marine and coastal ecosystems are major components of climate regulation. Coastal areas are also among the most densely populated areas on the planet which makes them highly vulnerable to climate change. This workshop will deal with the social challenges in relation to the impact of CO2 emissions and climate change and investigate how the ocean and coastal socio-ecosystems react to these challenges.
W3: The Ocean: a Source of Eco-innovations & Citizen Commitment to building a "Blue Society"
10:00-12:30, Room II
Not only does the ocean regulate the climate, it is also crucial to our food supply, health, economy, and future. Its extensive potential, still rather unexplored, offers numerous solutions to climate challenges. This workshop will highlight ways to promote sustainable management of human activities both at sea and in coastal areas through eco-innovations that are adapted to the diversity of actors, the knowledge base of populations, and varying cultures.
W4: What Place does the Ocean hold in Climate Negotiations & Initiatives?
10:00-12:30, Room XI
New pathways must be identified in order to ensure that the question of the ocean is raised in international climate discussions and initiatives. This workshop will explore ways to ensure that the question of the vital role of the ocean is fully acknowledged in climate negotiations.
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