Expert Conference on Development of Island's Sustainable Societies concluded successfully.
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We will update the presentation materials accordingly.

Program

Island regions all face common issues such as the conservation of natural environments, mitigation of climate changes, disaster prevention, securing energy sources and waste treatment. At a closer look, these issues are all interconnected and need to be addressed through initiatives unique to islands.

For example, coral reefs and mangrove forests contribute in a variety of ways, including mitigating global warming by fixing carbon dioxide, preventing or mitigating disasters by serving as natural barriers, and providing tourism resources, among other ecological services (gifts of nature). However, these ecosystems are under various threats, such as coral bleaching caused by rises in sea temperature as a result of global warming, and development of the coastline including areas around estuaries. These conditions are particularly prevalent in island regions.

While it has become a common notion that renewable energy sources will play a crucial role in preventing global warming, their unstable output remains a major obstacle to their widespread application. Meanwhile, an increasing number of people are turning their attention to new sources of energy contained within the ocean, such as wind and tides, which hold vast potential for harvesting renewable energy. Apart from renewable energy, waste treatment is a pressing issue on islands compared with the mainland, making 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) initiatives a more urgent concern on islands.

To realize and achieve the goals of these initiatives, each and every one of us must become aware of their importance and take action. The aim of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is to raise people's awareness of these issues, and it is an integral part of the initiatives to realize a low-carbon, recycling, sustainable society that exists in harmony with nature.

It is against this backdrop that the "International Conference on Climate Change and Coral Reef Conservation" was held in Okinawa in June last year, to share information on environmental problems faced by island countries and potential measures to address them. The chair also presented a summary, emphasizing the need to greatly boost cooperation between island countries, with Okinawa spearheading the efforts.

Building upon last year's conference, this year, experts will gather to discuss these common issues and specific initiatives pertaining to island countries with the aim of contributing to the further advancement of research and proposing to the world a sustainable development model unique to islands, which utilizes their abundant renewable energy and remarkably rich ecosystems.

Photos from last year's conference 1

Photos from last year's conference 2

2014.6.29(Sun)

13:00-14:00 Opening Ceremony [Place: Seminar Room B250]
Opening speech by the Organizers Soichiro Seki (Director-General, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan)
Kurayoshi Takara (Vice Governor of Okinawa)
Opening speech by Co-Organizers Jonathan M. Dorfan (President, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University)
Hajime Oshiro (President, University of the Ryukyus)
Keynote speech Rajesh Chandra (Vice-Chancellor and President, University of the South Pacific - Fiji) Presentation Material

  • Rajesh Chandra
14:30-17:00 Sectional Meetings
Sectional Meeting 1 :
Conservation of Nature Environment (Coral Reef Conservation and Sustainable Regional Development)
[Place: Seminar Room B250]
Facilitator Makoto Tsuchiya (Professor Emeritus, University of the Ryukyus - Japan)
Panelists Masako Nakamura (Researcher, Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University - Japan)
Yoshimi Higa (Onna Village Fisheries Cooperative - Japan) Presentation Material
Masashige Zamami (Mayor of Tokashiki Village, Okinawa Prefecture - Japan) Presentation Material
Satoru Miyazato (Mayor of Zamami Village, Okinawa Prefecture / Chairman of Zamami Village Tourism Association / Committee Member of Council of Okinawa Development - Japan) Presentation Material
Hidefumi Toma (Director General, Department of Environmental Affairs of Okinawa Prefectural Government - Japan) Presentation Material
Niphon Phongsuwan (Expert on Environment and Resources in Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Research, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources - Thailand) Presentation Material
Noah Idechong (Fisheries Adviser to Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism - Palau)
Takashi Nakamura (Lecturer, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus - Japan) Presentation Material
  • Makoto Tsuchiya
  • Masako Nakamura
  • Yoshimi Higa
  • Masashige Zamami
  • Satoru Miyazato
  • Hidefumi Toma
  • Niphon Phongsuwan
  • Noah Idechong
  • Takashi Nakamura
Sectional Meeting 2 :
Mitigation of Climate Change [Place: Seminar Room C209]
Facilitator Jun-ichiro Giorgos Tsutsumi (Professor, University of the Ryukyus - Japan) Presentation Material
Panelists Ichitaro Noguchi (Mayor of Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture - Japan) Presentation Material
Kiyohito Shimabukuro (Director & General Manager, Remote Islands Energy Services Department, The Okinawa Electric Power Co., Inc. - Japan) Presentation Material
Hiroaki Kitano (Professor (Adjunct), Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University - Japan) Presentation Material
Peter Nuttall (Research Fellow, Sustainable Sea Transport Research Programme, Pacific Centre of Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD), University of the South Pacific - Fiji) Presentation Material
Gregorio Decherong (Director, Palau Energy Office, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce - Palau) Presentation Material
  • Jun-ichiro Giorgos Tsutsumi
  • Ichitaro Noguchi
  • Kiyohito Shimabukuro
  • Hiroaki Kitano
  • Peter Nuttall
  • Gregorio Decherong
Sectional Meeting 3 :
Waste Management and 3R [Place: Seminar Room C210]
Facilitator Kunitoshi Sakurai (Professor Emeritus, Okinawa University - Japan)
Panelists Shiro Amano (Chief Advisor, J-PRISM (Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) - Japan) Presentation Material
Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty (Environment Programme Coordinator, United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) - Japan) Presentation Material
Hideshige Takada (Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology - Japan) Presentation Material
Christina Fillmed (Executive Director, Yap EPA - Micronesia) Presentation Material
'Ofa Tu'ikolovatu (CEO, 'Uiha and Son Ltd / GIO Recycling - Tonga)
Samuela Newa Namosimalua (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment - Fiji) Presentation Material
  • Kunitoshi Sakurai
  • Shiro Amano
  • Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty
  • Hideshige Takada
  • Christina Fillmed
  • 'Ofa Tu'ikolovatu
  • Samuela Newa Namosimalua

2014.6.30(Mon)

9:30-12:00 Sectional Meeting
Sectional Meeting 4 :
Adaptation to the Impacts of Climate Change (Ecosystem-based Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction) [Place: Seminar Room B250]
Facilitator Shigeyuki Baba (Professor Emeritus, University of the Ryukyus / Executive Director, International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) - Japan)
Panelists Eizo Nakaza (Vice President, University of the Ryukyus - Japan) Presentation Material
Taikan Oki (Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo - Japan) Presentation Material
Naoya Furuta (IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Senior Project Officer - Japan) Presentation Material
Damasa B. Magcale-Macandog (Professor, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños - Philippines) Presentation Material
David Sheppard (Director General, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) - Samoa) Presentation Material
Kiali Molu (Chief of Protocol, Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism, Environment and Labour - Tuvalu) Presentation Material
Tilia Tao Tima (Assistant Environment Officer / Biodiversity Officer, Department of Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trades, Tourism, Environment and Labour - Tuvalu)
Hajime Kayanne (Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo - Japan) Presentation Material
  • Shigeyuki Baba
  • Eizo Nakaza
  • Taikan Oki
  • Naoya Furuta
  • Damasa B. Magcale-Macandog
  • David Sheppard
  • Kiali Molu
  • Tilia Tao Tima
  • Hajime Kayanne
13:00-13:45 Side Event [Place: Seminar Room B250]
Theme Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) activities
- for preservation and wise-use of local resources -
Name Junko Oshima (Associate Professor, Dep./Grad. Sch. of Tourism Sciences, University of the Ryukyus / Director, The Japan Council on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD-J) - Japan) Presentation Material
Loraiti Binti Lolin (Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sabah Forestry Department - Malaysia) Presentation Material
  • Junko Oshima
  • Loraiti Binti Lolin
14:00-15:00 Closing Session [Place: Seminar Room B250]
Report from each sectional meeting
Chair's Summary

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Registration

Registration is now closed. Thank you.

  • *Free Shuttle buses will be running between Okinawa Prefecture Government office and OIST.
    (Bus schedule: 29th departing the Government office for OIST at 10:45, departing OIST for the Government office at 17:30 / 30th departing the Government office for OIST at 7:00, departing OIST for the Government office at 15:30)
  • *You are requested to show your public ID card, such as driver's license, student identification card, insurance card and etc.
  • *Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation is available.

Place

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST)

1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami, Okinawa 904-0495 Japan

For access, please see the OIST Website.

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Inquiry

For inquiries regarding registration and conference
Inquiry Secretariat for Expert Conference on Development of Island's Sustainable Societies
E-mail : info-islands2014@okicongre.jp
FAX : 098-869-4252
TEL : 098-869-3650
Business Hours: 10:00-18:00 (Mon-Fri, except Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays)

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