From Data to Decision – Bridging the Science-Policy interface

Show notes

Welcome back to the last episode of season 1 of Ocean InSight! After showcasing some of the excellent MeerWissen projects, and giving you some behind the scenes insights about the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, we now switch to the political side of ocean governance.

With us we had two legends from the field. Joining us from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) was Dr. Heike Henn. Coming from a background of political science, economics and law she is the Director for Climate and Energy, Sustainable Urban Development and Environment as well as the Commissioner for climate policy and climate financing at BMZ. Dr. Jaqueline Uku, tuning in from the Western Indian Ocean, has a background in marine science and decade-long experience working in the region. Not only is she a senior scientist and principal research coordinator at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, but she is also the President of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) since 2014.

Science-based decision making is essential in the sustainable management of coastal marine ecosystems and resources. But it can be a messy process, as scientists and decision makers often speak in their own, very different languages. The time scales at which science is conducted are also often hardly compatible to the fast-paced political realm. But BMZ, with its innovative approaches, like the MeerWissen initiative, is trying to tackle some of those issues and providing means to a more meaningful exchange at the science-policy interface. To make the initiatives and activities relevant to the partner countries BMZ depends on on-site expert knowledge, something WIOMSA has provided time and time again.

The "nature-sounds-ocean-waves-for-relaxation" and "calming-sea-sounds" are used under License: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You are allowed to use sound effects free of charge and royalty free in your multimedia projects for commercial or non-commercial purposes. http://www.freesoundslibrary.com