Durian. Indonesia’s Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry continues the joint research project with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on blue carbon and climate change, after the cooperation ran at a slower pace last year.
Head of Research and Human Resources Agency at the Ministry Sjarief Widjaja said on a statement on Jan.28, the two parties are committed to a more intensive research on and conservation of seagrasses and mangrove which are part of blue carbon ecosystems. The research is expected to help slowing down environmental damage in the areas caused by climate change.
Widjaja continued that the cooperation is among the steps taken by the Indonesian government to support the low-carbon development planning, coordinated under the National Development Planning Ministry.
Among some of the expected outputs of the joint initiative are the development of blue carbon laboratory in Indonesia, scientific publications on blue carbon ecosystems, trained human resources, and science-based policies on the issue.
The project, called Comprehensive Assessment and Conservation of Blue Carbon Ecosystems and their Services in the Coral Triangle (BlueCARES), is a 5-year cooperation which started in 2017. According to the JICA website, the project “aims to conserve the blue carbon ecosystems can contribute to mitigating the adverse effects of climate change in the context of sustainable development”.
Besides experts from Japan and Indonesia, scientists from the Philippines also took part in the initiative.
