Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Linkedin

IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC)

Advancing knowledge and cooperation for a healthy ocean and prosperous society

Advancing Collaborative Research and Adaptive Governance for Small-Island Sustainability in the Western Pacific

WESTPAC Kicks Off its Task Force on Ocean Literacy.

Thirty-five researchers, policymakers, and conservation experts from across the Western Pacific gathered in Malang, Indonesia, for the Second International Workshop on Small Island Research and Development (SIRaD). Hosted by the Universitas Brawijaya (UB) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia, the event represented an important milestone in advancing regional collaboration for small-island research, sustainable development, and adaptive governance.

Small islands across the Western Pacific face mounting challenges—from climate change and coastal degradation to limited institutional capacity. In response, the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) established the Small Island Research and Development (SIRaD) Working Group at its 14th Intergovernmental Session (April 2023, Jakarta), with the objectives of fostering interdisciplinary research collaboration, promoting community-engaged approaches, supporting evidence-based policymaking for sustainable small island development.

Building on the outcomes of the inaugural SIRaD Workshop (November 2023, Jakarta), the Malang meeting focused on translating interdisciplinary research into actionable policy and community-based practices.

Country presentations from China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia highlighted the importance of policy and legislative frameworks to island conservation and sustainable development. Case studies from six pilot islands—Amami (Japan), Jeju (Korea), Langkawi (Malaysia), Pingtan Dao (China), Koh Tao (Thailand), and Gili Matra (Indonesia)—illustrated the persisting challenges amid escalating economic development and climate pressure. Indonesian researchers and government agencies shared their efforts combining scientific evidence, stakeholder participation, and ecosystem-based management, illustrating how participatory governance and sustainable tourism can reinforce resilience and local livelihoods.

One key session presented new insights into how coastal stakeholders perceive ocean change and sustainability challenges, underscoring the need to integrate these local and traditional knowledge into the SIRaD framework. By the close of the meeting, participants formulated key actions for 2025–2027: strengthening of institutional support to SIRaD, joint research initiatives and academic exchange programmes, and expanding pilot sites that exemplify adaptive governance in practice. These will be consolidated into a SIRaD Action Plan (2025–2027) under the WESTPAC framework.
The workshop concluded with a field visit to Sendangbiru Village and Sempu Island Nature Reserve in South Malang, where participants observed community-led conservation and ecotourism initiatives in collaboration with the the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA Jatim). The visit highlighted how local empowerment and collaborative stewardship can deliver tangible benefits for both ecosystem and communities.

Looking ahead, the Malang workshop reaffirmed that sustaining small islands requires strong transdisciplinary collaboration that unites ecology, governance, and culture in a shared adaptive framework. With Indonesia—an archipelagic nation of over 17,000 islands—serving as a regional hub, the SIRaD initiative is now expanding its institutional network across universities and research centers in China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, fostering shared learning and coordinated actions toward a sustainable island future.