World ocean day — keynote, film and panel discussion
On World Ocean Day, we focus on how ocean change is affecting people and environments across the Pacific. Rising seas, stronger storms, and shifting conditions are already shaping lives and livelihoods. With leading experts contributing to both the keynote and panel, the event will explore why these challenges matter far beyond the Pacific.
Keynote: Pacific voices and the future of ocean governance
Mr. Sai Navoti (external link) (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UNDESA) will discuss the major challenges facing small island states, including tropical storms, drought, sea-level rise, and saltwater inundation, and their impacts on lives and livelihoods.
Mr. Navoti is Chief of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Unit at UNDESA. He has previously served as legal advisor to the International Seabed Authority, lead negotiator for the G77 & China, and lead climate negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
Film screening: The Forgotten Pacific
The Forgotten Pacific (73 minutes) follows communities in five Pacific island countries as they draw on Indigenous knowledge to adapt, rebuild, and respond to climate change.
Each island presents its own story of challenge and resilience, united by a strong sense of hope and determination.
Panel discussion
The film will be followed by a panel discussion with:
- Postdoctoral fellow Marta Gentilucci, Department of Social Anthropology, UiB
- Professor Peter M. Haugan (external link), Institute of Marine Research
- Mr. Sai Navoti (external link), UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs
- Professor Lise Øvreås, Department of Biological Sciences, UiB
Chair: Professor Edvard Hviding, UiB