Ocean Literacy: A Learning Tool
Ocean Literacy is a learning tool for students, educators, scientists, policymakers, and citizens of littoral countries. Environment, economy, and society can be benefited from public awareness about the ocean (Guest, Lotze, Wallace, 2015). According to United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) , ocean literacy is a way not only to increase the awareness of the public about the ocean, but it is an approach to encourage all citizens and stakeholders to have a more responsible and informed behaviour towards the ocean and its resources ( UNESCO,2017). Most people are unaware of the impact of their day-to-day actions on ocean health or how ocean health impacts their daily lives (Ocean Conference, 2020). An ocean - Literate person can understand the importance of the ocean to humankind and can communicate about the ocean in a meaningful way. Therefore, an ocean literate person is able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources.
International Platform for Ocean Literacy
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the UN Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the ocean literacy portal. UNESCO and
partners submitted a voluntary commitment titled “Ocean Literacy for All: A Global Strategy
to Raise Awareness for the Conservation, Restoration, and Sustainable Use of Our Ocean” to support SDG 14. The commitment aims to: encourage the collaboration and exchange of
ocean education for improving ocean literacy; raise awareness of the two-way interaction
between ocean and peoples’ daily lives and empower citizens to improve their everyday
behaviour; and seek and apply interactive ways to make current and future citizens’ ocean
literate so that they can recognize environmental challenges and can make responsible decisions to use the ocean resources and ocean stewardship (Wahlen, 2018). Government, Civil society organizations, Academic institutions, Non-governmental organizations, Scientific community, Private sector, United nations entity can register voluntary commitment in Ocean Conference website of United Nations for implementation of SDG goal 14.
"An ocean-literate person can understand the importance of the ocean to humankind and can communicate about the ocean in a meaningful way."
The Necessity to know Ocean Literacy
The ocean is an avenue of major food supply and livelihoods such as fishery, tourism, ports, shipping and shipbuilding (Sakhuja, 2015). Blue Economy indicates ocean based economy and Blue Economy transfigures ocean resources into development devices (Rahman, 2017). Blue Economy has huge potential in Bangladesh as well as South Asia but to tap the potential we need meticulous researches and social awareness (Bari, 2017). Ocean Literacy Network both national and international is a platform to promote social awareness. We have the opportunity to involve ourselves in the ocean literacy platform. As littoral country citizens, we need to have a basic understanding of ocean literacy like Maths, Physics, Chemistry and other elementary subjects.
References:
Bari, A., 2017. Our oceans and the blue economy: Opportunities and challenges. Procedia Engineering, 194, pp.5-11.
Guest, H., Lotze, H.K. and Wallace, D., 2015. Youth and the sea: Ocean literacy in Nova Scotia, Canada. Marine Policy, 58, pp.98-107.
Oceanconference.un.org. 2020. The Ocean Conference | Ocean Literacy For All: A Global Strategy To Raise The Awareness For The Conservation, Restoration, And Sustainable Use Of Our Ocean.. [online] Available at: <https://oceanconference.un.org/commitments/?id=15187> [Accessed 22 May 2020].
Rahman, M.R., 2017. Blue economy and maritime cooperation in the Bay of Bengal: Role of Bangladesh. Procedia Engineering, 194, pp.356-361.
Sakhuja, V., 2015. Harnessing the blue economy. Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, 10(1), p.39.
Uddin, M.K., & Habib, K.A. ( Eds.). (2019). Proceedings of the Consultations on Ocean Literacy in the Bay of Bengal region, Dhaka, February 24, March 31 to May 20, and June 29, 2019. Dhaka: Aquatic Bio-resource Lab of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, VOICE, and Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative.
Unesco.org. 2018. IOC-UNESCO Launches New One-Stop Shop Ocean Literacy Portal | United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization. [online] Available at <http://www.unesco.org/new/en/mediaservices/singleview/news/ioc_unesco_launches_new_one_stop_shop_ocean_literacy_portal/> [Accessed 22 May 2020].
Wahlen, C., 2018. UNESCO Meets SDG 14 Commitment, Launches Ocean Literacy Portal | News | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD. [online] Sdg.iisd.org. Available at:<http://sdg.iisd.org/news/unesco-meets-sdg-14-commitment-launches-ocean-literacy-portal/> [Accessed 24 May 2020].
Image Credits: Water photo created by tawatchai07 - www.freepik.com
Author
Sharmin Shara Mim - Regional Coordinator of Asia Pacific Region
Sharmin Shara Mim is currently working at BRAC Institute of Educational Development, combining her passion for communication and facilitation. She has been engaged in youth capacity building since her university years. In that pursuit, she has done two internships on youth capacity building and climate change. She has written a short story anticipating climate change impact on earth titled “Ice Age”
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