ATU researcher involved in new Science – Policy report at European level
Launch of Navigating the Future report by the European Marine Board held in Brussels
The European Marine Board launched the latest edition of its flagship marine science policy foresight series, Navigating the Future VI (NFVI), during an event that took place in Brussels, on the 23rd of October, 2023. This report provides recommendations on emerging marine science topics and needs, as well as associated societal challenges and opportunities.
The European Marine Board is an independent non-governmental advisory body that represents more than 10,000 marine scientists across Europe. The publication of this report focuses on the critical role that the Ocean plays in the wider Earth system. The working group comprised 33 experts from 16 European countries, covering a wide range of marine natural and social science backgrounds and career levels. In Ireland, Drs. João Frias (ATU) and Julia Calderwood (Marine Institute) contributed to the Ocean and freshwater and Ocean and biodiversity chapters, respectively.
The report focusses on progress towards achieving the goal of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the EU’s Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters, and the European Commission's Horizon Europe Framework funding programme. It provides recommendations for what is missing in terms of research needs and how to ensure that science is accessible for informing these initiatives.
The information provided in this document allows for discussions into future research needs in Europe, particularly addressing environmental aspects that cover climate change, biodiversity loss and ocean pollution. These discussions will be held at the European level (Commission and Parliament), where this report serves as an input for the future of research in Europe. Therefore, Navigating the Future VI acts as a roadmap of recommendations for European research funding.
Peter Kraal, co-lead of the chapter on Ocean and freshwater said, “We humans are heavily reliant on clean freshwater, but we still exert severe pressure on this crucial commodity. Global warming causes rising sea levels, which are pushing seawater further inland into rivers, wetlands and underground freshwater reserves, with negative effects on water quality. Moreover, human activities generate waste streams with cocktails of hazardous chemicals that enter the global water cycle, making their way from freshwater reservoirs to the Ocean. Freshwater and the Ocean are intimately connected and affect each other; we need to understand how in order to sustainably use both components of the global water cycle”.
By offering a roadmap for research funding, the NFVI report aims to inform and influence policymakers in the European Commission and Parliament. It presents recommendations for bridging research gaps, ensuring that scientific insights are accessible for policy development and addressing the pressing issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean pollution.
More information can be found in the three links below:
https://www.marineboard.eu/navigating-future-vi
https://www.marineboard.eu/NFVI_launch
European Marine Board NFVI Launch (YouTube)
For further information about the report, please contact; Joao.frias@atu.ie
Photos by European Marine Board. Artwork displayed in the background of the photos by artist Christian Clauwers.
