The sun beating down, the clear blue ocean, and the abundance of nature. While the Republic of Palau is known as the “Paradise of the Pacific,” it is also greatly affected by climate change. What did Ms. Takanashi learn from her visit to the Republic of Palau, where climate change countermeasures are being implemented, and from the thoughts and feelings of the people involved?
(I’ll tell you about it in the article and in the video)
Mr. Takanashi, who is highly interested in climate change issues, learned about the climate change measures being taken in Palau.
Not only beautiful, but what is the importance of coral and mangroves?
When you actually see it up close, the clarity of the ocean is amazing. The forests are very rich in nature, and the atmosphere is cheerful, as if dogs and other animals are living freely with people. Upon landing in Palau, Mr. Takanashi’s eyes lit up at the sight of Palau for the first time.
Palau is an archipelagic nation consisting of more than 300 islands located approximately 2,000 km south of the main island of Okinawa. Palau is an archipelagic nation consisting of more than 300 islands, where beautiful and magnificent nature such as coral reefs and mangroves, and precious ecosystems are distributed, and the Rock Island Group and Southern Lagoon, which consist of hundreds of islands, are registered as a World Heritage Site.
Seaweed and coral reefs spread over the waters near the mangrove forests, creating a beautiful gradation
Palau is home to a huge variety of coral species, with about 400 hard coral species and 300 soft coral species. And it is home to thousands of species of marine life, including fish and seaweed. Caryn Lecon-Kosiba, interim CEO of the International Coral Reef Center, told Mr. Takanashi how valuable Palau’s ecosystem is.
In recent years, Palau has seen the negative effects of climate change, such as coral bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures, in addition to environmental destruction caused by tourism and development. The International Coral Reef Center is a center for coral reef research, established in 2001 with Japanese cooperation in response to the large-scale coral bleaching that occurred in 1998. In order to conserve coral reef ecosystems, the center conducts coral reef monitoring and conducts ecological research on corals that inhabit parts of Palau’s inland waters, which are resistant to bleaching even at high sea temperatures.
Kosiba said that it is very important to conserve not only coral reefs, but also the entire coastal ecosystem (eco-system) from coral reefs to mangroves. Coral reefs and mangroves serve as breakwaters and seawalls that prevent damage from tidal waves and tsunamis. The roots of the mangroves protect the coral from sedimentation caused by sediment runoff, and the leaves of the mangroves fall into the water and decompose, providing food for the crabs and other small animals that live in the mangroves. And we Palauans live off the seafood that grows there,” he said.
Listening to Kosiba’s story, Mr. Takanashi said, “Not only the coral, but also the mangroves and the fish that live there are all important as an ecosystem, and it is not good if any one thing is missing. It is not possible to have any one thing missing.” Mr. Takanashi seemed to be thinking about the importance of the coastal ecosystem and the benefits that the Palauan people receive from it.
Visiting the International Coral Reef Center with Ms. Koshiba’s explanation
International Coral Reef Center, which can also be enjoyed as an aquarium Bleached coral. If this condition continues for a long time, the coral will die.
Kayak tour to feel the mangrove eco-system
To learn firsthand the importance of the mangrove eco-system, Mr. Takanashi participated in an eco-tour by kayak through the mangrove forests. This eco-tour is being developed by JICA in cooperation with Niwar Province in the eastern part of Babeldaob Island. In order to conserve the mangrove ecosystem, JICA is cooperating in the establishment of a mangrove forest monitoring system and educational activities to raise awareness of its importance, and the eco-tour is a part of such activities.
The ecotour guiding and monitoring activities are carried out by local rangers. The population of the province is about 200, but so far nearly 20 people have taken the training to become eco-tour guides, and we hope to increase that number in the future,” said Kanako Itagaki, a JICA expert.
What kind of surveys do the rangers conduct? Itagaki answered, “We survey mangrove species, fallen trees, and measure trunk thickness in order to understand the condition of the mangroves in the protected area and to maintain and manage a healthy ecosystem.
It is said that mangroves can store three times more carbon than tropical rainforests, making them a very important ecosystem for combating climate change. We are also working with the International Coral Reef Center to teach children about the fun and importance of the mangrove ecosystem through eco-tours.
Just being in a mangrove forest is soothing,” said Mr. Takanashi. A ranger surveying with Mr. Itagaki on his first kayaking trip. The number of young rangers is increasing, and they are learning about their own land, nature, and mangroves, which is fostering a sense of attachment and a desire to “protect” them.
Interview with the President! What are Palau’s decarbonization initiatives?
So far, Mr. Takanashi has traced efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change. In order to also hear about “decarbonization” efforts to mitigate climate change itself, an interview with Palau President Slangel S. Whipps, Jr. was arranged. Here is part of that interview.
Mr. Takanashi：I was wondering if Palau, being a Pacific island nation, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. What specific impacts are you seeing? President Whipps: The direct impacts are storms and storm surges. Schools and homes have been destroyed by large typhoons that never came before, and the storm surge has also damaged the entire east coast of Palau. In addition, rising sea levels have caused salt damage due to seawater entering the taro growing areas (wetlands). Furthermore, rising sea water temperatures have reduced the number of jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake, where visitors can swim with them.
We depend on tourism as our primary industry, and we also depend on taro as our staple food. If we have to rebuild every time a storm or storm surge destroys it, our livelihoods will be set back.
Mr. Takanashi: This is a painful story to hear. Could you reiterate why decarbonization is so important for Palau?
President Whipps: I have attended several COPs (Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), and at the first COP I attended, I made the statement, “If we are going to suffer a slow and painful end (to climate change), drop the bomb to end it now. This is because the effects of climate change are like a slow “death. Everyone needs to make decisions and do their part to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, such as using renewable energy and choosing local production for local consumption instead of using transportation energy.
Mr. Takanashi：How is Japan’s cooperation helping Palau to combat climate change?
President Whipps: Palau aims to achieve a 100% renewable energy ratio by 2032. What we have learned from Kumejima Island (Okinawa Prefecture), where OTEC is underway, is that it is possible to develop not only electricity, but also industries that utilize deep seawater. I hope that this can be realized in Palau and that the deep seawater can be used for industrial development. I would like to realize this in Palau and show the world that we can decarbonize the world.
The bus route system being tested is also effective in reducing people’s dependence on cars and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In the future, we would like to advance to the next stage, such as using electric (EV) and hydrogen buses. * Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)…A power generation system that uses the temperature difference between surface seawater and deep seawater. A demonstration project is underway on Kumejima Island, Okinawa Prefecture, to utilize deep seawater pumped up during power generation for drinking water, aquaculture, and agriculture, and is attracting attention as a “Kumejima model” that will generate electricity as well as industry.
After the interview held in the Oval Office, the President presented Mr. Takanashi with a book introducing Palau. The “Himejima Model,” in which EV vehicles equipped with a solar power storage and charging system are used for tourism, is also being considered for introduction to Palau. The initiative is being implemented in Himejima Village, Oita Prefecture, by Japanese startup T-Plan, which also held a test drive in Palau in April 2023. Photo shows President Takanashi taking a test ride. In Palau, a car-dependent society, people’s main means of transportation is private cars, and a bus route is currently in test operation for the development of an environmentally friendly public transportation system with the cooperation of JICA. Mr. Takanashi rides a bus. He often uses buses in his private life.
What should we do to help those of us who live in the midst of nature?
Mr. Takanashi has talked to people involved in climate change measures in various places in Palau. I was surprised to see JICA’s cooperation everywhere,” he says.
I myself see climate change as a serious problem, and I have a sense of crisis about the current situation, as ski jumping competitions are being canceled due to lack of snow, and artificial snow is increasingly being applied to jumps to hold events. During my visit to Palau, I became aware of the need to ‘look at the world more broadly,’ rather than focusing only on snow and mountains. I believe that our lives are protected by nature, including the oceans and mountains. As long as we live in this environment, I thought that each of us needs to work on climate change issues.”
© Source JICA
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.