In response to the pressing issue of global climate change, SEAMEO BIOTROP held a blended International Workshop on Climate Change (IWCC) with the theme “Indonesia Sea as Global Climate Engine: Climate Change and Coastal Resilience”.  The workshop held on 7-8 October 2021 was aimed to share knowledge and information on climate change and coastal resilience, to increase public attention and understanding about the importance of coastal resilience as well as to strengthen the interaction among the government, universities, practitioners and stakeholders to manage coastal disaster into coastal resilience.  

The International Workshop was officically opened by Prof Arif Satria, Rector of Institut Pertanian Bogor and also SEAMEO BIOTROP Governing Board from Indonesia. In his opening remarks, Prof Arif mentioned that Indonesia’s biodiversity is a foundation for developing Agro-Maritime concept. The Agro-Maritime 4.0 is needed to guard Indonesia’s biodiversity from mountain to ocean that may have been destroyed due to climate change. “I do hope that this international workshop resulted in the solutive concept to overcome various disturbances on biodiversity caused by climate change”, Prof Arif added.  He further said that working papers resulting from this workshop should be disseminated to increase the understanding of climate change. 

The workshop was divided into 4 parts, i.e., the morning speech, the plenary session, the parallel sessions and a talkshow.  Resource persons and presentations for the morning speech were Prof Danielle Wood, Director of Space Enabled Research Group, MIT Media Lab (Decision Support Model & Visualization for Assessing Environmental Phenomena, Ecosystem Services, and Policy Consequences for sustainable Indonesia Seas"); Prof David Lagomasino, Department of Coastal Studies, East Carolina University ("Mangrove Planning for Urban Areas as The Way To Reduce The Impact Of Disaster Due To Climate Change"); Prof Dr Julie Winkler, Michigan State University (“Climate Scenario for Non-Scientist”); and Prof. Rajagopalan Balaji,  Colorado University (“Extreme weather and climate over coastal areas”).  

The plenary session was enriched by 5 resource persons and presentations from the Government Institutions, i.e., Dr Nani Hendiarti, Deputy of Environment and Forestry Coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Marine Affairs and Investment (“Development Strategy on Coastal Management in Combating Climate Change Impact”); Dr Ir Arifin Rudiyanto, MSc, Deputy for Maritime Affairs and Natural Resources, the Ministry of National Development (“Development Planning on Climate Change and Coastal Resilience”); Ir Laksmi Dhewanthi, MA, Director General of Climate Change Control, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (“Connecting International Frameworks and National Determined Contribution on Climate Change and Coastal Resilience”); Dr Paradhika Galih Satria, Fiscal Policy Agency, the Ministry of Finance (“Financial Support on Climate Change and Coastal Resilience”); and Prof Dr Ir Rokhmin Dahuri, MS, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries period 2001-2004 (“Governance Biodiversity on Academic Point of View”).

The parallel sessions were divided into 3 session i.e., 1. Implementation and Participation; 2. Impact Action; and 3. Solution.  The Implementation and Participation session featured 4 speakers and presentations i.e., Dr Ir Dodo Gunawan, DEA, Head of the Climate Change Information Center, Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (“Climate Change Information Services for Coastal Areas”); Chris McCowen, PhD, Lead Marine Scientiest of UNEP-WCMC (“The Role of the Natural Environment in Adaptation”); Ir Sri Tantri Arundhati, MSc, Director of Climate Change Adaptation, Ministry of Environment and Forestry (“Vulnerability of Mangroves Ecosystems in Confronting Climate Change”); Ir Anita Heru Kusumorini, MSc, Head of BAPPEDA Pekalongan City (“Efforts to Develop the Coastal Area of Pekalongan in Overcoming Climate Change Disasters”).  The Impact Action session featured 5 resource persons and presentations i.e.,  Prof Yangfan Li, College of the Environment and Ecology from Xiamen University, (“Coastal Resilience, Climate Change and Urbanization”); Ir Afrail Rosya, MA, MSi, Director of Early Warning, National Disaster Management Agency (“Early Warning for Disaster Risk Prevention”); Dr Eng Nita Yuanita, ST, MT, Institut Teknologi Bandung (“Coastal Impact Assessment”); Mr Joga Dharma Setiawan, BSc, MSc, PhD, Universitas Diponegoro (“Nano-Satellites for Marine Coastal Monitoring”); Dr Zulhamsyah Imran, Director of SEAMEO BIOTROP (“A Coastal Communities Resilience: A Case Study on Recovery of Fisheries Livelihood Aftermath Disaster”).  The Solution session was enriched by 4 resource persons and presentations i.e., Dr Muhammad Helmi, Ssi, MSi, Universitas Diponegoro (“Coastal Risk and Adaptaion Option”); Dr Ing Widodo S. Pranowo, Marine Research Center, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (“Coastal Governance”); and M. Taswin Munier, SPi, MSc, Environmental Policy Advisor for GGGI (“Contribution Action of Non-State Actors in Coastal Sustainable Management”).

The talkshow featured Dr Mego Pinandito, MEng, Acting Deputy for the Use Research and Innovation Agency (“Collaborative Research on Climate Change and Coastal Resilience”) and Ir Wisnu Sardjono Soenarso, MEng, Director of Research Facilities, LPDP (“Funding Opportunities for Research on Climate Change and Coastal Resilience”).

The workshop was attended by 411 participants consisted of researchers, lecturers, government agencies, and general public from Indonesia and abroad. (sis).