SIDS on threat, UNESCO to take measures
UNESCO would attend the third International conference on Small Island Developing States, which would take place for four days, from 1st September 2014 to 4th September 2014, in Apia (Samoa). The opening day of the conference would witness prominent figures like United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. The conference would majorly talk about the climate changes and its effect on the small Islands and the possible ways to overcome them.
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In the four days of the conference, the representatives of governments, the United Nations, Civil Society, the private sector and academia will lay down few points to define priorities for the decade ahead. Subjects to be addressed include SIDS’ flexibility to climate change, safeguarding the ocean and developing renewable energies. UNESCO would organize or support of number of events concerning education for sustainable development, adapting to ocean threats, promoting careers in the sciences, intangible cultural heritage in SIDS, culture and development in small islands, and underwater cultural heritage.
Situated in the Caribbean, the Pacific and Indian oceans, Africa, the Mediterranean and the South China Sea, thirty-nine Small Island developing states were found, which were recognized as a distinct group at the United Nations Conference on Enviroment and Development (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 1992).
These islands are vulnerable to the rise in the sea level (Maldives is at higher risk as it would submerge if there is even a meter increase in the sea level), though all these islands are hardly responsible for anything that can be a reason of global warming. Also, another threat is Coral bleaching which have already caused damages to the environment and economies. Coral reefs of Dominica and Caribbean have already been affected by bleaching by 50%.
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The islands which are on threat are on priority list of UNESCO, through its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, which is working on issues such as acidification, early tsunami warning systems and ocean governance. The Organization has also developed scientific programmes relating to small islands, notably in hydrology and traditional local knowledge systems.
UNESCO’s World Heritage List has 32 sites in SIDS, including Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles), the Colonial City of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), and Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (Palau). Vanuatu Sand Drawings and the Maroon Heritage of Moore Town in Jamaica are among the elements of these countries’ living heritage that have been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Organization is also committed to promoting education for sustainable development and Education for All (EFA) in small islands. In fact, most small island States have achieved EFA goals, with the exception of the South Pacific where some countries have islands that are hundreds of kilometres apart.
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