CTC Executive Director Rili Djohani was recently in the Maldives as one of the speakers at the 11th Indo-Pacific Environmental Security Forum (IPESF) held on August 1-4, 2022 in Kurumba. The conference was attended by 132 participants from 22 countries, including Maldives’ State Minister of Environment Dr. Abdulla Naseer.

IPESF is the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s (USINDOPACOM) program to explore solutions to environmental security issues throughout the Indo-Pacific region. IPESF creates opportunities to discuss mutual environmental security challenges and to collaborate with other nations on achieving countries’ environmental security goals.

The presentations, panel sessions, and workshops emphasized the following themes: 1. Climate Security Challenges

and the Role of Defense Forces; 2. Oceans and Water Security; 3. Small Island Nation Concerns and Security; 4. Women, Peace, and Security; and 5. COP 26 in Context. Ms. Djohani presented on the scaling up of human capital in the Coral Triangle region and the role of women in protection of marine biodiversity, food security and blue economy.

“We discussed ideas for education on climate change in smaller working groups. It was very inspiring to be in one group with participants from the Maldives, Laos, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Indonesia, Vietnam and US and share our perspectives. The networking was a great outcome of this forum as well bringing people from Asia together with the Pacific Islands including Mariana Islands, Palau, Fiji and Kiribati,” she noted.