Prof. Phoebe Koundouri delivered a speech at the Food & Agriculture Pavilion during a session on “Climate Change, World Oceans & Human Impacts: A Need for Proactive Action.” The session, hosted by CGIAR – Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), focused on the urgent need for proactive action to address the alarming threats facing our oceans and the human populations dependent on them.
In her speech, Prof. Koundouri shared insights from the RACC Regional Action on Climate Change Symposium RACC-16 Statement and discussed key areas where policy and action are needed to address the intersection of ocean change, climate impacts, and human vulnerability. Additionally, she referred to her role as a lead author for the 3rd United Nations World Oceans Assessment (WOA III) – Chapter 3: Human Wellbeing. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the various ways oceans contribute to human wellbeing, exploring the relationship between ocean ecosystem health and multiple aspects of human prosperity.
The session also featured contributions from Prof. Jim Falk, Professor at the University of Melbourne and University of Wollongong; Dr. Essam Yassin Mohammed, Director General of WorldFish; Prof. Dr. Adel El Sayed Tawfik El-Beltagy: Chairman of the International Dryland Development Commission (IDDC) and former Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt; and Dr. Aditi Mukherji: Senior Researcher and Associate Director at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
