International Coral Reef Center Initiative in Okinawa - Current Trends in International Environmental Cooperation in 1997

International Coral Reef Center Initiative in Okinawa - Current Trends in International Environmental Cooperation in 1997

The 1990s saw a growing international interest in biodiversity conservation, and after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the focus shifted to protecting vulnerable ecosystems such as tropical forests and coral reefs. Coral reefs, in particular, have been degraded by the effects of climate change and tourism development, and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) was launched, led by the United Nations University and IUCN. Following this trend, the idea of establishing an "International Coral Reef Monitoring Center" in Okinawa Prefecture emerged. Okinawa, which hosts one of the largest coral reefs in East Asia and is geographically located at the crossroads of the Asia-Pacific region, was deemed a suitable base for research, surveys, and information exchange. The plan envisioned that the research would be commissioned to the Underwater Park Center and function as part of an international network (GCRMN). At the time, Okinawa's coral reefs were being devastated by tourism deve
lopment and a diving boom, and the 1997 El Niño caused a global bleaching phenomenon. This concept was an attempt to combine regional development with environmental diplomacy and to demonstrate Japan's presence as an "environmental superpower," and was positioned as an attempt to symbolize the compatibility of the environment and the economy.