Bali's WWF Summit Initiates Center of Excellence on Water, Climate Resilience in Asia Pacific

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The 10th World Water Forum Summit (WWF Summit) in Bali initiated the formation of a Center of Excellence (CoE) on Water and Climate Resilience in the Asia Pacific region.

Head of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati said that this center of excellence is considered a collaborative platform for countries in the southern hemisphere that often experience water-related disasters.

“Collaboration and partnership are the most important in CoE. This involves various stakeholders from public and private sectors as well as academics," said Dwikorita in Nusa Dua Bali, on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Partnerships are critical to harnessing the diverse resources, expertise, and technologies needed so CoE can effectively address water and climate-related issues. 

According to Dwikorita, as an archipelagic country, Indonesia is at the forefront of facing environmental and climate challenges, especially in the last 30 years. However, Indonesia strives to innovate in technological development and research development.

Dwikorita also said that each country has its own CoE, such as Indonesia with its trining-focused Weather and Climate CoE which gained support from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). "For more than 13 years, there has been a Sabo Center, where Sabo technology is introduced to young experts in Asia Pacific and Africa," she said.

For information, sabo is derived from the Japanese words "sa" which means sand, and "bo" which means control. Sabo technology is used to anticipate debris and control sediment in a natural landscape, especially mountain rivers.

Previously, Expert Staff to the Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) for Technology, Industry and the Environment, Endra S. Atmawidjaja, said that CoE is the answer to the climate challenges the world is currently facing. Indonesia would target strengthening South-South cooperation (SSC) by establishing a CoE.

Through CoE, said Endra, Southern countries with problems related to flooding, and other water management problems will educate each other, exchange ideas, and share experiences to find the best possible solutions.

IRSYAN HASYIM

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