HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, the Chairman of the Higher Council for Science and Technology, has emphasized the importance of regional and international cooperation to protect the Red Sea ecosystem, share knowledge, and advance scientific research and development.
Speaking at the “First International Conference on the Red Sea Ecosphere: Conservation and Management of the Red Sea Marine Environment”, Prince El Hassan said the Red Sea is an important source of natural resources and is essential for community and population stability.
He stressed the need for proactive planning and the exchange of relevant knowledge, experience, and reliable information to better adapt to climate change and cushion its impacts.
Prince El Hassan noted that genuine, scientific, and effective development based on common interests is the foundation for stability on all fronts, including environmental stability.
He emphasized the significance of developing the Great Rift Valley and addressing disparities in order to empower its peoples.
The biennial conference, which is put on by the Higher Council for Science and Technology in collaboration with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, the University of Jordan, and Yarmouk University, emphasizes the crucial role that colleges, research institutions, and governmental and non-governmental organizations play in understanding and preserving the Red Sea’s environment.
It is being held in response to the United Nations General Assembly’s proclamation of “a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)”. It illuminates the long-term environmental and developmental threats and pressures facing the Red Sea region, its resources, and marine environment as a result of political developments, malpractices, and conflicts.
Secretary-General of the Higher Council for Science and Technology Abdullah al-Moussa said that the Red Sea is a strategic corridor for the global economy, not just for nations along its shores, emphasizing the need to safeguard its marine ecosystem and the environments of cities along its coast.
Nayef al-Bakheet, Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, stated that the conference brings together renowned environmentalists from Jordan and beyond, and that the gathering is hoped to produce recommendations that benefit Aqaba’s marine environment. He mentioned the Aqaba Marine Reserve and its UNESCO nomination, as well as plans to establish a marine research center in Aqaba.
Head of the Fellowship Advisory Team of the Higher Council of Science and Technology Khaled Toukan said that hundreds of ships pass through the Red Sea every day, impacting its environment, and that the purpose of the conference is to present ideas based on real data regarding sea level and temperature, waste, marine life, and the preservation of coral reefs.
Advisor to the President of the Republic of Cyprus on climate change Costas Papanikolas emphasized the need to develop an action plan to address the region’s specific challenges, citing a decline in international and regional funding for climate change research and suboptimal use of technology.
The conference, which runs through November 6, features sessions and discussions on the following topics: the state of the coastal and marine environment, climate change and its impact on the environment, the biosphere of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, coral reef studies, integrated coastal management, remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems, physical and chemical studies, and pollution.
SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY