Semas discusses coastal and ocean sustainability with experts in Pará

Sustainable pathways for the coastal and marine zone of Pará were discussed by experts and public servants in Belém. The event "Pará Azul: towards coastal and ocean sustainability" was promoted by the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability (Semas), through the Directorate of Environmental Management Planning, Education, and Decentralization (Diored), last week at the Semas Environmental Training and Formation Center.

In preparation for COP 30 (world conference on climate change) in November this year, the meeting reinforced the importance of the Pará coastal zone, which houses ecosystems such as mangroves and estuaries, essential for biodiversity, food security, and climate balance. This is a measure aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN), especially SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Professor Alexandre Turra from the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (USP) and coordinator of the UNESCO Chair for Ocean Sustainability emphasized the importance of creating dialogue spaces for understanding ocean phenomena. "This opportunity to come and talk with the Semas team was fundamental because we need to create spaces where we can dialogue and bring the ocean to the center of discussions. It is important that Pará has a strategic vision of the ocean and develops a well-structured and visible ocean agenda," explained the professor.

Scope - The "blue economy," which seeks to promote sustainable development through the responsible use of ocean resources while maintaining their conservation, was one of the topics discussed during the meeting. The development of blue economy projects and initiatives can boost the region's economic growth. In Pará, this economic segment encompasses various activities such as sustainable fishing, aquaculture, bioeconomy, tourism, and biodiversity conservation.

"The sustainable ocean economy is a very important pillar of this future vision we are working on. We have opportunities here in the region to reflect on these scenarios that are being outlined and to plan adequately how these activities will develop. It is also a chance to think about how to create opportunities from these new realities," informed Alexandre Turra.

The meeting also aimed to internally align Semas's actions, as the ocean theme crosses various areas of public policy.

According to the Deputy Secretary of Environmental Management and Regularity of Semas, Rodolpho Zahluth Bastos, "it is very important to bring the relevance of the ocean agenda into this context of pre-COP debates. Our intention was precisely to highlight the ocean theme for the reality of climate debate and promote this dialogue with our Semas teams. It is essential to understand how the ocean is being treated in the international debate and how we can address it in light of our reality that integrates rivers, estuaries, and the ocean in a systemic way."