Pro-Kurdish party calls for early elections after removal of its mayor

ByTurkish Minute
June 6, 2024



DEM Party co-Chairperson Tülay Hatimoğulları

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) has called for early elections amid the removal of its mayor in a southeastern city from office, saying the government has lost its legitimacy by disrespecting the will of the people, the Artı Gerçek news website reported.

On Monday the interior ministry announced the removal of former Hakkari co-mayor Mehmet Sıddık Akış of the DEM Party from office due to an ongoing investigation and a separate trial on terrorism-linked charges. He was replaced by Hakkari Governor Ali Çelik. The ministry’s move attracted widespread criticism and protests for being “anti-democratic” and “hijacking” the will of the Kurdish people.

DEM Party Co-chairperson Tülay Hatimoğulları, who has been in Hakkari for several days to join demonstrations protesting Akış’s removal, and the party’s other co-chairperson, Tuncay Bakırhan, met with representatives from civil society organizations in Hakkari on Thursday.

Hatimoğulları said at the meeting that Turkey should immediately hold early elections because the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), have lost their legitimacy, resorting to illegitimate measures to stay in power.

She said the results of the March 31 local elections in which the AKP sustained its worst election defeat since its establishment in 2002 and the MHP lost significant public support made clear that they no longer have legitimacy.

The March 31 elections produced surprising results for the AKP, with the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) emerging as the country’s leading party for the first time in decades, receiving 37.7 percent of the vote. The AKP’s nationwide support, however, stood at 35.4 percent, while the MHP garnered 4.9 percent.

She accused the AKP and the MHP of taking political revenge for their election loss on the DEM Party by removing its democratically elected mayor.

Akış, the first mayor ousted from office since the March 31 local elections when the DEM Party won a dozen provincial municipalities in the predominantly Kurdish southeast, was also handed down a prison sentence of 19 years, six months at the 61st hearing of his trial on Wednesday.

“This illegitimate palace administration and its ally should immediately resign. If they don’t, Turkey should immediately hold early elections. The circumstances necessary for early elections have emerged in the country,” she said.

The last time Turkey held presidential and parliamentary elections was May 2023. The next elections are scheduled for 2028.

Meanwhile, CHP leader Özgür Özel, who refused to call for early elections following the AKP’s electoral defeat on March 31, maintained his stance and said his party would not make such a call.

He told reporters on Thursday that such a decision can only be made upon a demand from the nation, adding that with its 127 seats in parliament, the CHP is not in a position to call for early elections.

The 600-seat Turkish parliament can call early elections only if three-fifths of the lawmakers — 360 MPs — support it.

Meanwhile, a group of lawmakers from the DEM Party on Thursday hung a banner that read “Trustee, go away” on the Bosporus Bridge in İstanbul in protest of the replacement of the DEM Party mayor in Hakkari with a government-appointed trustee.

Turkish gov’t removes Kurdish mayor from office 2 months after his election

ByTurkish Minute
June 3, 2024

Turkey’s Interior Ministry has removed Mehmet Sıddık Akış, the co-mayor of Hakkari from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), and replaced him with a trustee two months after his election to office, according to a statement from the ministry.

Akış, who was elected with 48.9 percent of the vote in the March 31 elections, was detained by law enforcement in the eastern province of Van on Monday morning. There was also a police raid on the Hakkari municipal building late on Sunday.

The ministry announced on X on Monday that the mayor was removed due to an ongoing investigation and a separate trial on terrorism-linked charges. He was replaced by Hakkari Governor Ali Çelik.

Akış is being investigated on accusations of membership in a terrorist organization in a probe launched by the Hakkari Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and also standing trial at the Hakkari 1st High Criminal Court on charges of running a terrorist organization, membership in a terrorist organization and disseminating the terrorism propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to the ministry’s statement.

The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.

The fact that the mayor has been removed from office without a conviction has led to comments about the violation of the presumption of innocence.

“Mehmet Sıddık Akış was dismissed from his duties as a temporary measure,” the ministry said on X and “was taken into custody for belonging to a terrorist organization.”DEM Party Hakkari Mayor Mehmet Sıddık Akış

It was the first time a Kurdish mayor has been removed from office since the March 31 local elections in which the DEM Party won control of 77 municipalities across Turkey.
“Will of the Kurdish people hijacked”

Akış’s removal and detention have attracted widespread criticism from the DEM Party and others who accuse the government of hijacking the will of the Kurdish people.

DEM Party deputy group chairperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, who spoke following a meeting on Monday, said her party has decided to hold vigils in front of the DEM Party-run municipalities in protest of the ministry decision to remove the Hakkari mayor and to defend the will of the people of Hakkari.

She accused the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of retaliation for its defeat in the March 31 elections with its actions in Hakkari.

The March 31 elections produced surprising results for the AKP, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) emerged as the country’s leading party for the first time in decades, receiving 37.7 percent of the vote. The AKP’s nationwide support, however, stood at 35.4 percent.

Koçyiğit also called on everyone to attend the vigils and extend their support to the DEM Party in the wake of the anti-democratic move by the government.

Meanwhile, the Hakkari Governor’s Office on Monday announced a ban on public demonstrations, protests and marches in the province for a period of 10 days in an apparent bid to prevent protests against the removal of the city’s mayor. A similar ban was also announced for Diyarbakır for a period of four days by the Diyarbakır Governor’s Office on Monday.

Veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk, the co-mayor of Mardin, told the Sözcü daily that the AKP government is resorting to such anti-democratic measures due to a loss of public support given the fact that the party sustained its worst election defeat in the March 31 elections.

Türk said although there were concerns about a new wave of trustee appointments, there was a widespread belief among DEM Party officials that the AKP government would not resort to such a measure for a third time.

The mayor called on all opposition parties to raise their voices and object to the violation of the will of the people.

The DEM Party’s predecessor, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), won 65 municipalities in Turkey’s eastern and southeastern regions in the local elections on March 31, 2019, but due to the decisions of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) in six cases and the Interior Ministry, nearly 50 mayors have been removed from office or not allowed to assume office.

Some Kurdish-run municipal officials had been replaced by trustees earlier in 2016.

The Turkish government claimed the appointment of trustees was a counterterrorism measure and that the elected mayors were funneling municipal funds to the PKK.

The mayors denied the accusations and described them as politically motivated.

The Diyarbakır Bar Association called on the Interior Ministry in a statement on X to immediately return Akış to office while recalling that the right to stand trial, be elected and engage in political activities are indispensable elements of a democracy.
CHP against trustees

Leader of the main opposition CHP Özgür Özel described the appointment of a trustee to the Hakkari Municipality only two months after the election as the “hijacking of the will of the people.”

He called on the government to remove the trustee and restore the city’s mayor to his position.

“We are on the side of democracy and the people’s will and against trustees,” Özel said in a tweet on X.

The European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, Nacho Sanchez Amor, also commented on the removal of the Hakkari mayor from office on X on Monday, describing it as a “blatant attack to democratic principles & total disregard to people’s will.”

Amor also called the move the “fastest way” for the Turkish government to destroy any hope of reviving Turkey’s EU membership talks, which have been frozen for years.

In the March local elections, the DEM Party — accused by the Turkish government of links to the PKK, won 10 provincial municipalities in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, including the region’s largest city, Diyarbakır.

The party won back 37 of the 48 municipalities whose mayors were ousted by the government after the 2019 elections.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stepped up a crackdown on the Kurdish political movement following a failed coup in July 2016, arresting dozens of Kurdish politicians, removing democratically elected mayors and closing down Kurdish media outlets.

Turkey detains 13 pro-Palestine activists accusing Ankara, Baku of ‘complicity in genocide’

ByTurkish Minute
June 3, 2024

Turkish authorities have detained 13 members of a pro-Palestine group following a demonstration in which they accused Azerbaijani energy company SOCAR as well as the Turkish government of “complicity in Israel’s genocide in Palestine,” local media reported over the weekend.

One of the 13 detainees was referred to court on Monday as the prosecutor sought his arrest, while the other 12 were released under judicial supervision, according to local media reports.

The group, called “A Thousand Youths for Palestine,” on Friday stormed the İstanbul office of the state-owned company and covered the building in red paint to symbolize blood. They accused Baku and Ankara of “fueling Israel’s genocide in Palestine” through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which supplies around 40 percent of Israel’s annual crude oil consumption.

“As Israel commits genocide in Palestine for nine months, Azerbaijan and Turkey are complicit by transporting millions of barrels of oil to fuel this genocide. We will continue to voice our protest and will not allow this bloody trade to continue,” the protesters announced on X.

 

Speaking to the Serbestiyet news website on Sunday, Hüseyin Arif Sarıyaşar, a representative from the pro-Palestine group, said 13 of his friends were detained in morning raids for protesting in front of the SOCAR office, while detention warrants were issued for 16 protestors in total. The group also said on X that some of their female members were subjected to strip-searches following their detention and that all members detained following the SOCAR protest are charged with damage to property and unauthorized entry into someone’s residence or workplace.

 

Meanwhile, a report on Haber Global TV, financed by Anar Aliyev, a SOCAR executive close to the family of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, accused the pro-Palestinian group of collaborating with terrorist organizations and Iranian-backed groups. It described the SOCAR protest as a provocation targeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s brotherhood with Aliyev.“These attempts, like the previous ones, will surely fail,” the report said.

 

A Thousand Youths for Palestine also gathered in front of the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan on Monday to protest the detention of their fellow protestors. They said, citing lawyers, that the detainees were not given any food or water between Sunday night and 2:00 p.m. on Monday. They held banners reading, “Our pro-Palestinian cause cannot be judged,” “Close the valves [of oil], don’t be a partner in crime” and “Detentions will not deter us, we learned resistance from Palestine.”

 

Another pro-Palestine group called “Direniş Çadırı” (Resistance Tent) expressed support for A Thousand Youths for Palestine, announcing on X that they are organizing a march in the capital of Ankara to make a press statement condemning the detention of the 13 protestors.

 

SOCAR, a state-owned company, has been under scrutiny for its involvement in the BTC pipeline, which transports Azerbaijani crude oil through Turkey to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. From there, the oil is shipped to various destinations, including Israel.

Investigative journalist Metin Cihan highlighted that the BTC pipeline, operated by British Petroleum (BP), supplies around 40 percent of Israel’s annual crude oil consumption. Cihan criticized the terms of the BTC agreement, which obligates Turkey to maintain the oil flow even during conflict, prioritizing oil trade over human rights and national sovereignty.

Despite Turkey’s public condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and a recent halt to bilateral trade, the BTC pipeline continues to operate.

The binding agreements from 1999 mandate its operation regardless of regional developments. Experts and rights groups have criticized the agreements as “colonialist” for granting BP privileges and imposing obligations on the signatory states, requiring them to relinquish part of their sovereignty to ensure the pipeline’s operation.

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza has intensified scrutiny of Turkey’s trade practices with Israel. Erdoğan’s government recently restricted exports to Israel, but revelations of continued trade have sparked criticism and raised questions about Turkey’s support for Israel.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which began on October 7 following an unprecedented attack by Hamas, has led to significant casualties and devastation. Turkey, a vocal critic of Israel’s actions, has accused the Israeli government of committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza.

Protestant churches in Turkey highlight rising rights violations

ByTurkish Minute
June 7, 2024

The Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey has released its “2023 Rights Violations Monitoring Report,” highlighting increasing challenges and rights violations faced by the Protestant community throughout the past year, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported.

The report identifies a worrying rise in hate speech directed at Protestants, documenting an increase in hate speech against Protestants on social media platforms, with local media often contributing to the negative rhetoric.

Protestants continue to face significant obstacles in establishing and maintaining places of worship. The report emphasizes that these barriers severely restrict their ability to practice their faith freely, highlighting the ongoing issue as a critical concern for the community.

The report also reveals an alarming trend in the treatment of foreign Protestant clergy. In 2023, 33 foreign religious leaders were assigned restrictive immigration codes such as N82 (requiring prior permission to enter) and G87 (considered a general security threat), a sharp increase from just two cases in previous years. Including their families, this affected a total of 63 individuals.

“Many of these individuals have lived in Turkey with their families for years, contributing positively to their communities without any criminal records or investigations,” the report states. “Their sudden deportation or entry ban has disrupted family unity and caused considerable distress.”

The US Department of State said in a report released in May 2021 that Ankara continued to limit the rights of non-Muslim religious minorities, especially those not recognized under the government’s interpretation of the 1923 Lausanne Treaty, which includes only Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Christians, Jews and Greek Orthodox Christians.

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was criticized in the report for many rights violations, including restricting efforts of minority religious groups to train their clergy and making it difficult for them to open or operate houses of worship and obtain exemptions from mandatory religion classes in schools.

Top court finds no rights violation in deportation of Protestant clergy from Turkey

ByTurkish Minute
June 7, 2024


The Constitutional Court has concluded that Turkey has not committed any rights violations in deportations or entry bans imposed on grounds of a risk to national security that have been experienced by members of the country’s tiny Protestant community.

Dozens of Protestant pastors and their families have been effectively banned from entering Turkey or deported over the past several years based on reports from the country’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) claiming that they pose a threat to national security.

Some of the pastors were deported or refused entry despite living legally in Turkey for years for simply engaging in missionary activities, attending a Christian conference or a meeting, which are cited as examples of actions threatening the security of Turkey.

Turkish authorities are assigning Christians “N-82 (requiring prior permission to enter)” or G-87 “considered a general security threat” security codes, which are used to label a person as a “threat to public order and security” and effectively function as entry bans to the country.

Some of these Protestants — Australian citizens Benjamin Charles McLure and Nathan James Bradtke; German citizens Helmut Frank and Michael Robert; and US citizen Amanda Jolyn Krause and seven other US citizens — took their cases to the Constitutional Court, filing individual applications claiming that they have been subjected to a violation of their rights in their expulsion from Turkey by cancellation of their residence permits or the imposition of an entry ban.

The applicants claimed that their right to freedom of religion and right to effective remedy were violated.

The applications at the top court were filed after the applicants failed to obtain a decision from local and regional appeals courts in their favor.

The applications, which were filed between 2019 and 2022, were merged by the court under the case name “Amanda Jolyn Krause and others.”

However, the Constitutional Court found no violation of the applicants’ rights, ruling by a majority of votes in February. The decision has just been made public.

According to the court, the applicants did not voice any complaints about the obstacles or discriminatory practices they faced while observing their faith during the time they lived in Turkey, hence their claim about a rights violation was baseless.

The court’s former president, Zühtü Arslan, who retired in April, was among the court members with a dissenting opinion.

The Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey in its “2023 Rights Violations Monitoring Report,” revealed increasing challenges and rights violations faced by the Protestant community throughout the past year.

According to the report, 33 foreign religious leaders were assigned restrictive immigration codes such as N82 and G87 in 2023. Including their families, this affected a total of 63 individuals.

“Many of these individuals have lived in Turkey with their families for years, contributing positively to their communities without any criminal records or investigations,” the report states. “Their sudden deportation or entry ban has disrupted family unity and caused considerable distress.”

It is estimated that there are more than 8,000 Protestants in Turkey, a majority of whom are ethnic Turks who operate some 170 churches or communities, for the most part located in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir.

Applications filed by members of the Protestant community are also pending at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

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Emigration narratives: what migrants believe and why it matters

June 7, 2024

Why do some people choose to migrate and some people not? Why are some willing to do so via irregular channels and some unwilling?  Answering these questions allows us to design better interventions to achieve migration policy objectives such as “safe, regular, and orderly migration”. It also helps us answer profound scientific questions using the timeless yet increasingly important case of migration. Given the salience, uncertainty, complexity, risk and novelty of migration—as well as its emotive and valuedriven nature—we can expect narratives to play a powerful and rich role in emigration decisions. This report builds on recent findings and cutting-edge data to investigate the role of narratives in affecting variation in various forms of migration behaviour.

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Emigration narratives: what migrants believe and why it matters

GREEN CAPITALI$M

Harmonizing ESG Principles and Circular Economy Strategies for E-Waste Management in Indonesia

Industrialization, population growth, and the launch of innovative electronic products have posed various challenges in both developed and developing countries.

BYCUT MEDIKA ZELLATIFANNY
JUNE 7, 2024


Industrialization, population growth, and the launch of innovative electronic products have posed various challenges in both developed and developing countries, including Indonesia. One of the main issues is the surge in the number of electrical and electronic equipment that potentially become electronic waste or e-waste. According to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2020 report, electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste stream globally. The primary causes of this are the increasing demand for electrical and electronic equipment, short life cycles, and limited repair options. Indonesia is currently facing significant challenges in managing the growing volume of e-waste, driven by rapid technological advancements and the national consumption of electronic devices.

The Indonesian Telecommunication Statistics report by Central Agency of Statistics (BPS) revealed that household internet usage reached 86.54 percent in 2022, while the percentage of the population owning mobile phones reached 67.88 percent. Admitad, a global network partner company, also reported a 5% increase in electronic product sales in Indonesia in 2023. Another interesting fact is that consumer spending on electronic products increased by 4% (Yunianto, 2023). Consequently, Indonesia has become one of the world’s largest e-waste producers. According to data released by the Global E-Waste Monitor 2024, Indonesia generated approximately 1.9 million tons of e-waste in 2022. However, data from the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry indicates that only 17.4 percent of electronic waste is properly managed. If not addressed promptly, research by Aulia Qisthi, a PhD Candidate specializing in Recycling Electronic Waste, predicts that e-waste generation in Indonesia will reach 3,200 kilotons by 2040 (Puspa, 2022).

Electronic waste or e-waste refers to discarded electronic devices that have reached the end of their useful life and are disposed of by owners without intending for reuse, donation, or recycling (US EPA, 2014). These electronic and electrical equipment waste is categorized into 6 types based on their waste management characteristics, including equipment related to temperature control, equipment related to screens and monitors, lamps, large appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, small appliances such as microwaves and toasters, and IT equipment and telecommunication devices (The Global E-waste Monitor, 2024).waste contains hazardous and toxic heavy metals (B3) such as lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, and chromium that contaminate the air, water, and soil (Gaur, 2023). When electronic waste is burned, toxic fumes are emitted, and the pollution caused by electronic waste is highly hazardous. These fumes can cause acute and chronic illnesses, such as respiratory diseases, skin cancer, allergies, and even death (Awasthi et al., 2016a; Cook et al., 2020; Hicks et al., 2005). As cited on the Universal Eco website, e-waste management in Indonesia still faces several challenges, including low public awareness to reduce the use of electronic goods, lack of infrastructure for e-waste management, and a shortage of skilled labor to manage e-waste. In addressing these challenges, the synergy between Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and the implementation of circular economy (CE) is believed to offer potential sustainable solutions to be implemented in Indonesia.

Circular Economy: An Approach for Sustainable Future

Ellen MacArthur (2015) defines the circular economy as a model of economic system aimed at achieving economic growth while preserving the value of products, materials, and resources for as long as possible. The circular economy is now understood as an economic system that seeks to eliminate waste and continuous resource consumption through production cycles, reuse, and recycling. In the context of e-waste, this approach means extending the lifespan of electronic products, facilitating repairs and upgrades, and recycling components that can no longer be used. This approach can reduce the environmental impact of e-waste disposal and improve resource efficiency.

Based on the Circular Economy Economic, Social, and Environmental Benefits Report in Indonesia launched by Bappenas with support from UNDP and the Government of Denmark, the electronics sector is one of the priority sectors for circular economy implementation. As reported by Media Indonesia (2022), the report also reveals that the implementation of the circular economy in the electronics industry has the potential to increase GDP by Rp12.2 trillion by 2030. Meanwhile, in terms of the environment, the implementation of the circular economy in the electronics industry is predicted to help Indonesia avoid nearly 0.4 million tons of CO2 emissions and save 0.6 billion cubic meters of water by 2030. With the advancement of technology and science, the 3R concept is deemed insufficient to address the e-waste problem, leading to the emergence of a widely discussed circular economy implementation strategy known as the 9R concept (Greeneration Foundation, 2023). Implementing the principles of the circular economy 9R can be the initial step towards transitioning to a circular economy, allowing Indonesia to improve resource efficiency and create comprehensive e-waste management.

In Indonesia, the circular economy system has actually begun to be implemented, one example being the E-Waste RJ community, which has successfully reduced the volume of e-waste by collecting and recycling electronic devices. EWasteRJ is known to have 17 electronic waste collection points in nine cities, with more than 7 tons of electronic waste already collected and over 6.8 tons of electronic waste recycled (Arifa, 2022). By recycling precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper from unused devices, they not only reduce waste but also create new economic value from materials previously considered useless. One opportunity in managing e-waste in Indonesia is the limited number of companies licensed to manage and utilize specific waste management, such as electronic waste, as reported by waste4change. Only four companies have obtained permits from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), namely BGR Access, Patron, Retron, and Mall Sampah. Therefore, the government, as the policy instrument administrator, is expected to foster new business activities that have the potential to expand employment opportunities, ultimately contributing to the country’s economy.

ESG: A Framework for Social and Environmental Responsibility

ESG is a framework used to measure and manage the environmental, social, and governance performance of companies. ESG serves as a standard for companies to make long-term investments, integrating and implementing policies related to the environment, social, and governance aspects (Kartika & Hudaya, 2023). In the management of e-waste, the application of ESG can encourage companies to operate responsibly and sustainably. The integration of ESG in e-waste management encompasses various aspects:

Environment: This aspect demands that companies minimize the environmental impact of their operations by implementing effective e-waste management practices such as electronic component recycling, the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies in production processes, and the implementation of take-back concepts.

Social: The social aspect emphasizes the importance of involving communities in e-waste management. Education and campaigns about the importance of e-waste recycling are needed to increase public awareness and participation. For example, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs can be directed towards building recycling facilities and supporting community initiatives focused on e-waste management.

Governance: Good governance is required to ensure that companies comply with applicable regulations and standards. In this regard, the Indonesian government plays a crucial role in strengthening regulations related to e-waste and providing incentives for companies that implement ESG practices.

Indonesian government initiatives

As part of efforts to address the issue of e-waste, the Indonesian government has issued various regulations. These regulations encompass the management of e-waste as a whole, covering reduction of generation, recycling, and final processing, including the following:Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management
Government Regulation Number 101 of 2014 concerning Management of Hazardous and Toxic Waste Materials
Government Regulation Number 27 of 2020 concerning Specific Waste Management
Government Regulation Number 22 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Environmental Protection and Management

The Indonesian government has developed the National Action Plan for Electronic Waste Management in 2019, aiming to establish a sustainable electronic waste management system in Indonesia by implementing various initiatives, such as developing regulations, building recycling facilities, increasing public awareness, and supporting research and innovation. This includes creating jobs in the electronic waste management sector and enhancing the country’s capacity to manage electronic waste. The plan was launched in February 2020 and covers the period from 2020 to 2025. One of the achievements of developing the roadmap for electronic waste management in Indonesia is the initiative of the Electronic Waste Management System formed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. This system aims to provide a comprehensive database on collectors, recyclers, and disposal sites for electronic waste from electronic device manufacturers, which is slated to be implemented in 2024.

The synergy between ESG and the circular economy in e-waste management offers a sustainable solution for Indonesia. By integrating the circular economy approach and ESG principles, Indonesia can reduce the environmental impact of e-waste, improve resource efficiency, and ensure social welfare. Moreover, the implementation of appropriate regulations, collaboration between the government, private sector, and society, as well as a series of initiatives, socialization, and education, are also key to achieving responsible and sustainable e-waste management. If all these elements are perfectly synergized, the younger generation of Indonesia will be able to experience a greener and more sustainable environmental governance in the future.



Cut Medika Zellatifanny
Master's Student of International Relations majoring in Digital Transformation and Competitiveness at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Blue Economy Must Benefit Fishing Communities in Global South, Says WorldFish Chief

By Neena Bhandarit |

Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed, Director General of WorldFish.

SYDNEY, Jun 7 2024 (IPS) - The Global South is crucial for ensuring aquatic food security to feed the growing world population. It is imperative that blue economy initiatives benefit fishing communities in developing and small island nations, which are facing disproportionate impacts of climate change, says Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed, Director General of WorldFish, an international non-profit research organization based in Penang, Malaysia.

“More than three billion people depend on aquatic foods as their main source of protein and micronutrients, and nearly 800 million people rely on fishing for their livelihood. The Global South produces a significant portion of the world’s aquatic food and 95 percent of the fishing workforce comes from these regions,” notes Mohammed, who is also CGIAR’s Senior Director of Aquatic Food Systems.

Growing up in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, situated on a highland plateau 2325 meters above sea level, Mohammed learned the value of food early in life. The country had recently gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991, and young children like him were motivated to contribute to the nation’s food security.

“Eritrea, a coastal country by the Red Sea, had abundant fish and marine resources. We believed these resources would be critical in making the country food secure so some of us decided to study marine biology and fishery science,” he adds.

While working for Eritrea’s Ministry of Fisheries, he was tasked with enhancing fish consumption amongst the Highlanders, who traditionally had no connection with the sea. He then realized that driving behavioral change in people’s diets, while considering cultural food preferences, is far more complex. To meet this challenging task and to better understand the interaction between humans and the ecosystem, he decided to train as a development economist.

“Integrating fisheries science with economics has profoundly shifted my viewpoint and deepened my comprehension of the intricate interplay within socio-ecological systems. This has defined my career, and I have never looked back,”  says Mohammed, who is committed to improving fisheries and aquaculture amidst the challenges of climate change, habitat degradation, and aquatic animal diseases.

Shifting ocean currents and warming waters are having a significant impact on fish stocks and coastal infrastructure, inundating lands and altering marine ecosystems, which is affecting the productivity of some fish species and forcing them to migrate to more optimal environments.

He says, “While large-scale commercial fishing vessels can still pursue and catch these fish say 20 km away, it is technically and financially prohibitive for small-scale operators with small boats to do so. This is where climate change becomes a social justice issue, impacting coastal communities’ access to food and causing loss of livelihoods and cultural identity.”

“At WorldFish, we are going beyond helping communities become climate resilient by creating viable livelihood opportunities, which include development of climate-resilient fish strains, adoption of sustainable aquaculture practices and assisting governments strengthen their fisheries policies, for fishing and fish farming-dependent communities to thrive under a changing climate,” he adds.

WorldFish research is helping prevent aquatic animal diseases, which cause an estimated global annual loss of over USD 6 billion, by ensuring that the food being produced is safe for human consumption.

“One of the critical aspects of fish farming is that once fish are exposed to a disease, the entire stock can perish.

We are democratizing fish health diagnosis with Lab in a Backpack initiative. It’s a compact digital tool that enables fish farmers to quickly diagnose the disease, contact service providers for treatment advice, and also learn how to deal with anti-microbial-resistant  diseases,” he explains.

The initiative is helping fish farmers build their capacity for the best biosecurity management practices by integrating the One Health approach, which prioritizes the health of fish, the environment, and people.

Besides diseases, plastic pollution in the ocean poses a significant threat to marine life and ecosystems. In November 2024, governments will meet for the final round of UN negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

Mohammed says, “Once plastics enter the ocean, they are there to stay indefinitely. We have seen many instances of plastics harming marine life—straws stuck in the nostrils of turtles or dolphins—and now traces of microplastics have been found in fish tissues. It means those microplastics are being ingested by human beings, impacting their health too.”

“We need a legally binding treaty to mitigate plastic pollution. There is a global consensus now, but this needs to be followed by action on minimizing and eliminating plastic use and establishing a robust waste management system,” he adds.

Mohammed warns that many developed countries are prioritizing short-term economic gains at the cost of long-term sustainability and conservation of the global marine ecosystem. “We need to perceive the natural capital—marine life, oceans, and water bodies as economic infrastructure; and reinvest in them to ensure they continue to provide for us in the future,” he asserts.

According to the World Bank, blue economy is the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem.”

Currently, investments in blue economy initiatives are not percolating down to developing countries. WorldFish research reveals that from 2017 to 2021, USD 5.9 billion allocated to blue economy initiatives was concentrated mainly in Europe and Central Asia, and 35 percent of examined projects had potential risks for creating or exacerbating social inequities.

“Blue economy investments must benefit developing countries and small island nations. Those who are farthest behind must be able to benefit the most,” Mohammed tells IPS.

The total fisheries and aquaculture production (excluding algae) is expected to reach over 200 million metric tons in 2030, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation.

“Small-scale operators in the Global South supply up to 50 percent of aquatic food consumed globally. Ensuring that investments in the blue economy benefit these communities is essential for achieving shared prosperity and addressing climate change impacts on food security,” says Mohammed.

IPS UN Bureau Report

WATER IS LIFE NOT FOR $ALE

EU WATER FINANCE AND PPPs  

Public Private Partnerships and the financial sustainability of the Mediterranean water sector

June 7, 2024

“We are proud to present the report of the First UfM Annual Conference on Water Investment and Financing. In the process of developing the UfM Financial Strategy for Water, we heard from our partners that a regional platform was very much needed to facilitate dialogue and peer learning on this crucial topic among all stakeholders. We promptly reacted to that demand, with an ambitious vision, and launched what we hoped could soon become an important feature in the calendar of the water and financing sectors in our region.”

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Public Private Partnerships and the financial sustainability of the Mediterranean water sector

WATER, THE WEFE NEXUS AND FINANCE  – Applying a Water-Energy-Food-Environment nexus approach to water finance and investments

June 7, 2024

This publication describes a policy agenda for applying the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus approach to water finance and investments. It presents the conclusions and recommendations of the 4th Conference on Water Finance and Investment co-organised on 30th-31st October 2023 in Cairo (Egypt) by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), European Union (EU) Delegation in Egypt, and the African Development Bank, in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources, and with financial support from Sweden. The first conference took place in Rome (Italy) in December 2019 and, after a pause due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, subsequent conferences have taken place annually since 2021 in Cairo (Egypt) in the framework of Cairo Water Week.

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Applying a Water-Energy-Food-Environment nexus approach to water finance and investments