EU-Caribbean workshop on marine scientific cooperation

Résumé

The Caribbean is considered one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the impacts of climate change, with coastal communities and low-lying areas being particularly exposed to the combined threats of sea level rise and extreme weather events.
Although Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) are key to increase climate resilience, and oceans are fundamental to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region, investment in STI has been relatively low. There is a need to foster marine research within the region as well as to enhance its contribution to global knowledge production and to strengthen the science-policy-society interface.
The objective of the workshop is to gather multiple stakeholders in marine research to discuss on the potentialities, needs and gaps in marine research cooperation for the Caribbean region. Emphasis will be laid on the marine research topics: Coastal resilience, fisheries management, marine protected areas, ecosystems and biodiversity, ocean observation, research infrastructures.

Background:At
the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation – Senior Officials Meeting (JIRI SOM) in 2020 the delegates recognised that under the “Global Challenges Pillar” the Atlantic Ocean deserves special attention. Not only the Latin American, but explicitly also the Caribbean participants highlighted the necessity to approach the challenges and opportunities offered by the Atlantic Ocean, presuming that active involvement and enhanced cooperation of countries connected to the Atlantic Ocean could bring new insights and further benefits. The outcomes of the workshop will be presented as a basis for the debate on regional priorities and needs at the upcoming EU-CELAC JIRI SOM scheduled from 28-29 November 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.