Rising Sea Levels and Coastal Territory

A recent UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report found global sea levels have been rising at an accelerated rate. For the small island nations of the Asia Pacific this is sobering news, but even for larger nations, lets take Indonesia, there are significant consequences. As an archipelagic state with more than 17,000 islands stretching over 80,000 kilometres of coastline, it should be alarmed by the implications. One issue is that your water territory, your exclusive economic zone (or EEZ) is measured as a distance from your coastline. And if your coastline changes, be it through rising sea levels or land reclamations, that has implications for you, your resources and your neighbours. Guest: Assistant Professor Tara Davenport (Deputy Director, Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law, National University of Singapore). Recorded on 28th November, 2022.