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.

2014.6.29(Sun)