While billions are allocated to space missions, Less than 25% of our planet’s ocean floor has actually been mapped. We still have a lot to discover about the environment that covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, and more, to give an adequate value to the water that is the source of the Earth. It regulates the climate, supports great biodiversity and is a vital source of natural resources, but is often forgotten in big cities.
We continue to ignore it at our peril. This year alone, we’ve already seen some disastrous headlines: extreme temperature in the oceans causing unprecedented climate events; massive loss of coral reefs in the largest coral bleaching event to date and even the threat of collapse in vital ocean currents.
It is in this context that the UN declared the period from 2021 to 2030 as the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, known as the “Decade of the Ocean”. This campaign aims to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and move the global community towards sustainable management of the oceans. However, despite the relevance of the initiative, progress towards the goals of the Decade has been slow, particularly in terms of funding and political commitment.
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which aims to “conserve and sustainably use the seas, oceans and marine resources for sustainable development”, is another important milestone on the global agenda Despite its importance, SDG 14 is the least funded of all 17 goals – meaning there is a huge missed opportunity to improve the health of the planet and people’s well-being prioritizing new investments in the ocean means investing directly in small-scale fisheries and the livelihoods of vulnerable coastal communities, often most affected by climate change.
Investing in the ocean is also essential to addressing global climate challenges. The ocean already absorbs around a quarter of global CO2 emissions each year, hampering climate change. With more funding, we could further explore the ocean’s ability to capture and store carbon – mangroves, for example, absorb carbon 10 times faster than forests.
Avoiding the ocean is avoiding the livelihoods of billions of people around the worldand failing to achieve one of the most critical goals for humanity’s sustainable future. Among all the possible interests of an ocean on another planet, it is essential that we do not forget the ocean we have here and that we put pressure on companies and governments to act. Mars may have a hidden ocean – but ours is here, waiting to be understood, protected and valued.
2024-08-19 19:00:00
#Beatriz #Mattiuzzo #enjoyed #Mars #ocean #forgotten
