Global warming or popular with the terms of Global Warming (GW)
became one of the most hotly issues around the world lately. Conference
Framework of the United Nations (UN) Climate Change
or UNFCCC, held in Bali late last year is one proof
the seriousness of this issue. The conference, which lasted for nearly two weeks
managed to agree on the Bali Roadmap that will lead to Planet Earth
face and especially against GW.
GW has a very broad impact. Certainly not enough space to discuss
everything in this paper, therefore I will focus on one issue only.
How does the impact of GW on sovereignty, teruma when associated with
increase in sea levels which affect the condition of the islands, the jurisdiction of the territory
maritime and maritime boundaries of a coastal state with its neighbors?
Understanding the Indonesian archipelago and the maritime boundary
Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17 thousand islands and adjacent
with ten neighboring countries namely India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam,
Philippines, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Australia and Timor Leste. With the ten countries
, Indonesia and maritime borders as well as land borders with three
among which Malaysia (Borneo), Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste
shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Indonesia and ten neighboring
As an archipelagic country, Indonesia has many small islands. According to Law
No.. 27/2007, there are 92 small islands that are part of the Indonesian archipelago.
For Indonesia, the small islands, especially those located on the edge of the island (island
outer) has a strategic value. In the outer islands is placed dots
which form the base of the archipelagic baselines. This base line covers the entire
Indonesian archipelago and is a benchmark for measuring the width of the maritime area
Indonesia (see Figure 2), both the territorial sea (12 nautical miles from baselines), the zone
Additional (24 nautical miles), the exclusive economic zone (200 nautical miles) and the continental shelf
(Up to 350 nautical miles or more). Baselines is also a reference in
determine the maritime boundary line with neighboring countries in case of dispute or
overlapping claims.
Figure 2 Line the base and the outer limits of maritime zones
GW and the sinking islands
Various parties have published findings related to the increased temperature of the Earth
led to a growing high-sea. Data reported by UN in the website
climate change official said that during the 20th century, the increase in global temperature
reached 0.74 ° C. If the concentration of carbon dioxide remains at number 550 ppm (parts per
million), the increase in temperature could reach 2 to 4.5 ° C, with a best estimate
at 3 ° C. In other words, if the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions do not
seriously then a drastic increase in temperature can not be avoided.
Another phenomenon which is observed as a result of global warming is melting ice in
poles. It has been proven that ice cover in Antarctica (South Pole) and Greenland
(North Pole) its mass decreases due to melting. This increases the high face
sea which reaches 17 cm during the 20th century. With the existing conditions, able
estimated that the increase in sea levels at the end of the 21st century can be reached
numbers 28-58 cm.
One result of rising sea levels, was the sinking of small islands
or lowlands. Regions in the Pacific Islands is a long is expected to
GW affected the earliest. Kiribati, for example, is one of a small country in
Pacific region who felt such concerns. Its president, Anote Tong,
revealed in the annual South Pacific Forum in Fiji (2006) that the
sinking of the islands within the next ten years, should merea
soon find a place for refuge.
Countries in the Pacific region is also prone affected by GW is Vanuatu, Marshall
Islands, Tuvalu, and parts of Papua New Guinea. One village in Tegua Island, Vanuatu,
for example, were forced to evacuate to higher ground by floods due to
high rising waves. As a consequence of displacement,
Australia and New Zealand are expected to be a major refugee destination
remember the location closest to the small nations in the Pacific region.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia have developed a more dramatic news. Indonesia
expected to lose 2,000 islands by 2030 due to GW. This news
really can not be trusted begiu circulated through the media because of informal and
not issued by official institutions. However, one of the formal statement
expressed by the head of BMG Yogyakarta, Jaya Murjaya in the National Seminar
Geography at the State University of Yogyakarta in May 2007. When confirmed
personal, Murjaya revealed that the statement also quoted from various
sources. In other words, this is not the results of the study Murjaya and BMG. Murjaya also
revealed an increase in sea levels predicted to reach 29 cm in
2030. Ideally, this conclusion must be supported sinking island data
stated that there are 2,000 islands in Indonesia, which altitude is less than 29
cm above the sea at high tide. This statement of course requires
further research and discussion.
Although the number of Indonesian islands to be submerged due to unpredictable GW
easily, the fact that sea levels continue to rise it can be
result in loss of the island. The loss of the outermost small islands would change the line
base which ultimately affects the status and extent of maritime areas of Indonesia (see
Figure 2). This is a serious problem which is a threat to sovereignty
(Sovereignty, related to the loss of the island) and the right of sovereign (sovereign rights, related areas
maritime).
Need to Worry or Not?
Despite all the news about the GW-related increase in sea levels and loss
note, caution is still necessary to avoid misunderstandings.
One thing to note is the definition of the island under the UN Convention
on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In Article 121 of UNCLOS, it is stated that a
islands have formed naturally, surrounded by water and is above sea level
when the highest tide. Last condition, associated with the discipline of geodesy. This
indicate that the island must always be above sea level, whatever
occurs, regardless of sea surface height. That is, in defining the island or
before declaring the island is lost, there must be understanding of ocean tides (pasut) is
carefully.
Monitoring of the island with remote sensing technology through satellite image interpretation,
for example, has risks that must be well understood. One risk is
use of images recorded at low tide. Consequently, it is possible
there is an object of geography in the middle of the sea visible on satellite imagery such as islands, whereas
geography object could have drowned when the highest tide. Such objects
This can not be said of the island. Lack of understanding of this can lead to
errors in looking at the phenomenon of rising sea levels and sinking
island.
The other thing with respect to the impact of GW is the maritime boundary with neighboring countries.
Changes in sea levels can indeed change the configuration of the coastline at
eventually change the baseline. Baselines could lead to changes
changes in maritime claims but will NOT affect the maritime boundary line which
ALREADY set out in treaties (agreements). This is in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna
Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, which exclude the treaty limit of [maritime]
in terms of changes / cancellations. Other provisions that mendukug this is Vienna
Convention on Succession of States in Respect of Treaties 1978.
In the Strait of Malacca, for example, Indonesia has agreed on a seabed boundary with
Malaysia. This boundary line will not be affected by changes in shoreline / line
base due to GW. However, changes of baseline is of course
can affect the determination of the maritime boundary line that has not been agreed upon, such as
delimitation of the exclusive economic zone in the Strait of Malacca. Simply put, change the line
the base can affect the boundary line which will be agreed upon in the future, but
no effect on the existing boundary line at this time.
How to Fight the GW?
There are countless reasons to fight GW, though certainly not easy. In
context of an archipelagic country like Indonesia, maintaining sovereignty is one
reason. The next question is, how to fight GW? Can a global phenomenon
concerning the life of the entire planet Earth is affected or improved by
individual action? It must be recognized that changes in levels of energy use
the world is key in fight against GW. Unfortunately this is not in the hands of people
but mostly on the power elite in the world.
I can and do things you do is real small. I am reminded of the poem
Taufik Ismail, who once sent a friend. Indeed there are times when we do not
could be a banyan. At least we can be a shrub that grows in the lake
or even grass, but grass which amplifies the road embankment. Although not
such as Andrew Shepherd in the movie The American President who loudly
said that the White House will send to Congress Resolution 455 which
requires a 20% reduction of emissions of fossil fuels in 10 years, at least I can
refusing plastic bags when buying a book. This simple act will not be as well
immediately stop the GW, but like said Dewi Lestari, she could be a ball
snow is getting bigger and influential than ever me and you
imagine. What have you done to fight GW today?
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