Daily Times

Every year, the United Nations celebrates World Oceans Day on June 8 with a unique theme, and for this year it is: Our Oceans, Our Future. The UN believes it is important to have a day solely for creating awareness about the oceans among people, who may or may not directly depend, for their livelihood, on the oceans. It is, nonetheless, argued that each one of us, in one way or the other, is tied with the oceans, i.e., anything that happens to the oceans, whether positive or negative, eventually impacts each one of us. Therefore, the UN highlights the reasons/objectives for having a day reserved for the oceans, which essentially are to: ” 1) remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe; 2) inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean; 3) develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean; 4) mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans; 5) [assure ourselves that] they are a major source of food and medicines and a critical part of the biosphere; and 6) celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the ocean”. This day also brings to our notice the problems that our oceans face and the impacts those problems will have on our future.

Climate change, as it is impacting the global environment, is gravely affecting the oceans. Among the many stresses that the oceans of our times are facing, ‘rising sea level’ is one of those. Rising sea level, is a phenomenon, which I call a ‘distress for the oceans’. Sea level rise basically is an increase in the volume of world’s oceans’ water, which subsequently increases the global mean sea level. Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests that sea level has been steadily rising in the 20th century and it would continue to do so in 21st century – with an increased rate of rise. IPCC claims that the seas remain stable, i.e., without their level being raised or lowered, since the last 3000 years until late 19th century. Sea level rose at an approximate rate of 1.7 mm per year, in the 20th century; however, since 1993, the rate has been higher, i.e., 3.0 mm per year.

There are two causes for the sea level rise: 1) increase in the oceans’ heat content; and 2) melting of land ice sheets. These two causes, in modern times, are the result of global warming, which in the words of Pilky and Young, ” … is changing many things: the extent of ice on the surface of the Arctic Ocean, the extent of mountain glaciers, patterns of rainfall and drought around the world, and routes of ocean currents.” While arguing on alarming consequences of the sea level rise, the authors of ‘the Rising Sea’ believe, “of all the ongoing and expected changes from global warming, however, the increase in the volume of the oceans and accompanying rise in the level of the sea will be the most immediate, the most certain, the most widespread, and the most economically visible in its effects.”

Various Government institutions in Pakistan, especially Pakistan Navy, have been attempting to create a greater awareness about pollution, its impact on natural habitat and asking people to help recover the lost/mutilated mangroves along the coast. In this regard, Pakistan Navy has started an initiative of planting more than a million mangrove trees all along the coast, in a bid to defend our coasts against sea water ingress and to raise awareness of the importance of mangrove protection amongst the public. This target has been achieved and future planting programmes are on the agenda.

Pakistan Navy initiatives to celebrate World Ocean Day include campaign through lectures to focus on the importance and ensuring clean oceans. The awareness campaigns have added much to the understanding of why mangroves are important, that protecting them and the coastal environment is critical to protection of marine life. Two vital components of the celebrations are cleanup campaigns of harbours/ports and beach walk to clean up the litter on the beaches. However, in these initiative, each one of us should participate in enhancing awareness about mangroves, taking practical part in planting mangroves and promising not to be part of any action, which results in pollution.