The Nippon Foundation: Project to Map Ocean Floor by 2030 Now Operational
February 22 2018 - 12:00AM
Business Wire
The Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa announced at a
press conference today that The Nippon Foundation – GEBCO Seabed
2030 Project is now operational. The Project will realize Mr.
Sasakawa’s vision of mapping the entire ocean floor by 2030. The
Nippon Foundation has pledged US$2 million annually, and is calling
for additional support from the global ocean community.
Mr. Sasakawa noted, “The Nippon Foundation alone cannot achieve
the objectives of this ambitious project. We will need the support
of diverse stakeholders, including maritime corporations and
technical experts. It is crucial that the ocean community comes
together to achieve this goal”.
He was joined by leading ocean-mapping experts, who emphasized
that understanding the bathymetry of the global ocean is imperative
for improving maritime navigation, and also for enhancing our
ability to predict climate change and monitor marine biodiversity
and resources. A comprehensive map of the seafloor will assist
global efforts to combat pollution, aid marine conservation,
forecast tsunami, and better understand tides, wave action, and
sediment transport.
Satinder Bindra, the project’s recently appointed director,
brings a wealth of experience, having previously worked for major
international institutions involved in environmental initiatives
and sustainable development. The project draws on the experience of
a growing network of more than 28 institutions and organizations
around the world. The project will operate in four Regional
Centers, each with responsibility for a region of the world’s
ocean, with a Global Center based at the UK National Oceanography
Center.
Notes to Editors
The Nippon Foundation is a private, non-profit,
philanthropic foundation established in 1962. Using revenue from
motorboat racing, the Foundation pursues social innovation,
assistance for humanitarian activities, and global ocean
management, incorporating the ideals of social development and
self-sufficiency as it works to improve public health and
education, alleviate poverty, eliminate hunger, and support persons
with disabilities.
The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) is a
joint project of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO)
and UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
Originating from the GEBCO chart series initiated in 1903 by Prince
Albert I of Monaco, GEBCO is the only organization with a mandate
to map the entire ocean floor, and aims to provide the most
authoritative, publicly-available bathymetric datasets for the
world’s oceans.
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The Nippon FoundationTakashi Arikawa, +81-3-6229-5271Ocean
Departmentpr@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp