Solomon Pili Kaaho’ohalahala shares perspectives with IPS. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS
BUSAN, Korea, Apr 30 2025 (IPS) – Indigenous people play a vital role in ocean protection due to their deep-rooted connection to the marine environment and their traditional knowledge of sustainable resource management. They often possess centuries-old practices and stewardship ethics that prioritize ecological balance and community well-being.
Recognizing and supporting indigenous leadership in ocean conservation is crucial for building a more sustainable future for the world’s oceans. Solomon Pili Kaho’ohalahala from the Maui Nui Makai Network spoke to IPS during the 10th Our Ocean Conference in Busan, Korea.
“My name is Solomon Pili Kaho’ohalahala. I am from the small island of Lanai in Hawaii. I’m an eighth-generation Lanai. As an indigenous Hawaiian, one thing that is really clear is that I grew up with the traditional practices of our kupuna, our ancestors, and our elders. These practices brought us into a very close relationship with the land and sea, and we learned to strike a balance between what we gather from the land and sea for our daily sustenance and what is left behind for future generations.
“This practice is very mindful of spawning seasons for our land and sea resources, whether they be plants, animals, or fish, and respects those seasons so that we leave them alone when they’re at their highest ability to perpetuate their species. By contrast, now that we are illegally a part of the United States, they have put their management systems and laws in place, and their systems are contrary to those of traditional Hawaiian practices.
“And what we find is that under their management, the resources are in decline. So, the number of fish, which I previously described as plentiful, is now declining. The seaweed, which is also a type of food for us, is declining.
“So, what we have asked the government, the state of Hawaii, is to allow the indigenous people to begin their own traditional management practices to help restore. The government has such a hard time allowing the indigenous people to be the caretakers and managers, even though we have thousands and thousands of years of experience, but the government wants to do it alone and push us aside. By excluding indigenous people, the government is failing.
“We therefore decided that we don’t need the government’s permission to be the caretakers of our resources. So, we created our own community of managers of our resource, and these are cultural people. We are applying our cultural practice from land and into sea and ensuring that all of these natural resources on land and underwater are cared for in their proper manner, and this ensures that the cycle of replenishment is not broken.
“And what we’ve been able to demonstrate is that we are finding success, but the government does not acknowledge this success. So, we are still not recognized as the people that should be the caretakers of these systems, because the experience is an indigenous one and this is a problem.
“We are hoping for opportunities where the government will allow the community to be the caretakers. It’s slow in coming, and we don’t have much time to implement this, because if we don’t, then we may lose our resources forever, and that would be a sad day. So, we are doing our part with our own initiatives, but we are also pushing the government to consider these traditional practices of the indigenous people as management practices in islands in the largest ocean on the planet.
“And it’s very slow, but we are not stopping. We are moving ahead. Now, we want to take that experience and elevate this conversation in the international arena, because now we are talking about not just an island where I live on, but I’m talking about the entire ocean in which I live in.
“And if the international bodies consider making rules and regulations to manage that large ocean without the indigenous people, then we would be creating something not any different from what I’ve been living with, where state governments try to manage and control without indigenous input. At the international level, we are asking, are you going to manage and control the large oceans of the earth without the indigenous people? It cannot be.”
Kenya’s high-level delegation meets the Republic of Korea’s high-level delegation. Kenya will host the 11th OOC. Credit: OOC
BUSAN, Korea, Apr 30 2025 (IPS) – Participants from over 100 countries will leave the 10th Our Ocean Conference in Busan, the Republic of Korea, with stark reminders that with sea levels rising dangerously, coastal regions and low-lying areas globally, particularly densely populated areas, are threatened.
Asia, Africa, island nations, as well as the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts are increasingly on the frontlines of the coastal climatic carnage. Countries and regions at high risk include Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and Pacific Island nations like Tuvalu and Fiji. In 2024, floods caused the highest number of fatalities in Africa in countries such as Cameroon and Nigeria.
“We started this conference with the understanding that the ocean is under threat. A third of the world’s fisheries are overfished. Illegal and destructive fishing is damaging the ecosystems. It hurts the coastal communities that depend on it and undermines global economies. So, to risk the ocean risks the future security of all of our countries and the planet,” said Tony Long, CEO, Global Fishing Watch.
The Our Ocean Conference gathered approximately 1,000 global leaders from various sectors, including heads of state and high-level government officials from over 100 countries, and representatives from more than 400 international and non-profit organizations. Together, they discussed diverse and concrete actions for a sustainable ocean.
Today, experts highlighted the intersection of the ocean, climate, and biodiversity in finding solutions that transform science into political action. While the ocean is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, it is also a significant source of sustainable solutions because it absorbs nearly 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and 90 percent of the heat resulting from these emissions.
The 30×30 campaign supports the national and global movements to protect at least 30 percent of the blue planet’s land, waters, and ocean by 2030. While moderating a session on the importance of 30×30 and progress in national waters, Melissa Wright, a senior member of the environment team at Bloomberg Philanthropies, where she leads the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative, spoke about ongoing support for the global ambition.
“We’re supporting global ambition to achieve 30×30 in the ocean through equitable and inclusive partnerships and initiatives with civil society, governments, indigenous and community groups, and local leaders. Since 2014, the Blue Water Ocean Initiative has invested more than USD366 million to advance ocean conservation,” she said.
The initiative works in tandem with governments, NGOs, and local leaders to accelerate the designation and enforcement of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Most recently, the initiative has pushed for the rapid ratification of the High Seas Treaty and ensured the creation of MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
“We do not have much time left until 2030 to achieve the 30×30. As such, we are presented with a unique and challenging opportunity for ambitious, robust enhancement to our national and global capacities for the protection, conservation, and sustainability of our oceans,” said Noralene Uy, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects, Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Noralene Uy speaking to participants about the Philippines’ efforts and challenges towards achieving the 30×30 targets. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS
The Philippines is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, meaning it possesses a high level of biodiversity and a large number of endemic species. The country is home to a significant portion of the world’s plant and animal species, including many unique and endemic species.
Within this context, she said an undue burden weighs on the Philippines given limited resources and other priority development objectives. Nonetheless, the country has turned to science and is making progress. The country has established marine scientific research stations strategically located in the major marine biogeographic regions of the country to provide insights and knowledge into their ocean.
They have also formulated the national ocean environment policy, stressing that as science and policy evolve according to the priorities of our country, organizational structures and knowledge systems must change as well.
To achieve the highest ambition in marine protection, the Philippines and coastal communities around the globe now have an ever-greater need for financing and technical resources. Brian O’Donnell, Director, Campaign for Nature, explained that the only available assessment of the cost of 30×30 on a global scale is now five years old.
“According to the assessment, it would cost about USD 100 billion a year to implement 30×30 both on land and in the sea and at the time of the assessment, only about USD 20 billion was being spent, leaving an USD 80 billion annual shortfall,” he explained.
“Not only do we need to ensure we get more money into this space, but that money is delivered efficiently and effectively to the people, communities, and countries where biodiversity is and those who are safeguarding it.”
O’Donnell said that, despite ongoing challenges in mobilizing financial resources, there is some notable progress. He spoke about the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, which includes a target for wealthy nations to provide at least USD 20 billion annually in international biodiversity finance to developing countries by 2025, increasing to USD 30 billion by 2030.
This target aims to help developing countries implement their biodiversity strategies and action plans, particularly those in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. But O’Donnell said there is a need to change how things are done, as, unfortunately, much of the financing to developing countries is coming in the form of loans and short-term financing.
In all, he encouraged partnerships and collaboration in raising much-needed resources, such as the Oceans 5, which is dedicated to protecting the world’s five oceans. Oceans 5 is an international funders’ collaborative dedicated to stopping overfishing, establishing marine protected areas, and constraining offshore oil and gas development, three of the highest priorities identified by marine scientists around the world. Bloomberg Philanthropies is a founding partner of Oceans 5.
Looking ahead, there is optimism that by the time delegates settle down for the 11th Our Ocean Conference in 2026 in Kenya, the global community will have moved the needle in their efforts across finance, policy, capacity building, and research towards marine protected areas, sustainable blue economy, climate change, maritime security, sustainable fisheries, and reduction of marine pollution.
Do-hyung Kang, Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, during the press briefing. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS
BUSAN, Korea, Apr 28 2025 (IPS) – “As the son of a haenyeo, a traditional Korean female diver, I grew up by the sea, often watching the ocean with my mother. Captivated by the beauty and majesty of the sea, I chose to study marine science and have devoted my entire career to the ocean,” said Do-hyung Kang, Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea.
World leaders, policymakers, stakeholders, scientists, indigenous advocates, youth leaders, and civil society from around the world have gathered at BEXCO in Busan, Republic of Korea, for the 10th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) to define the next phase of ocean action and climate leadership.
“I want to discuss the footsteps that we have taken over the past 10 years during this conference and also find the pace for our footsteps for the next 10 years and our future direction for the OOC. As you know, our ocean is changing in a very fast-paced manner, which is why I believe that the future direction is important. And the speed of how we move is just as, if not even more, important,” he emphasized.
Speaking during a press briefing today, Do-hyung Kang said the 10th Our Ocean Conference, under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Action,” will serve as a platform to inspire global action for a sustainable ocean. He stressed that the biggest feature of the conference is its promotion of marine action through active participation and voluntary pledges by the private sector.
Over the past decade, Our Ocean Conference has generated at least 2,600 commitments and helped to establish marine protected areas (MPAs). Nearly half of globally implemented MPAs were first announced at OOC. The ongoing Busan conference will, for the first time since OOC’s inception, disclose an in-depth assessment of the commitments made since its first edition.
According to a WRI report, of the USD 160 billion pledged to date through OOC, more than USD 133 billion in funding has already been delivered or is in progress for efforts such as protecting marine biodiversity and fighting illegal fishing.
“A defining feature of the OOC is its active engagement of the private sector and the promotion of ocean action through voluntary commitments,” Do-hyung Kang said. “We have made every effort to showcase Korea’s strengths as a global leader in shipping, shipbuilding, and digital technology at this year’s OOC. A business summit focused on shipping, shipbuilding, and digital oceans will be held, along with a special exhibition highlighting these issues.”
Busan New Port, for instance, is a major container port in Busan, Korea, located at the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It serves as a crucial link between the Pacific Ocean and the Eurasian continent, the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. As of 2019, it was the world’s sixth-largest container port.
During a tour of the Port, Lee Eung-hyuk, International Logistics Director, Busan Port Authority, stated that the port is a competitive shipping logistics center that is continuing to innovate and set the standard for ports worldwide. Through advanced technology development, Busan Port is transforming into a world-class smart port, and with its eco-friendly system, it is leading the future of cleaner, greener ports.
Busan Port is expanding Korea’s logistics territory by securing logistics bases in major overseas regions while ensuring harmony among people, the city, nature, and the port. At the same time, Korea has a substantial fishing industry.
According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, there are 198 Korean distant water fishing vessels and 29 Korean support vessels, and the number of foreign illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing vessels is 208. Major fishing areas are the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans.
The Busan New Port, officially named Pusan Newport International Terminal, is a large container port in Busan, Republic of Korea. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS
Against this backdrop and towards sustainable oceans, the Republic of Korea has prevented, deterred, and effectively controlled illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by monitoring fishing activities and movements of about 200 Korean-flagged distant water fishing vessels in real time via the satellite-based Fisheries Monitoring Center (FMC).
IUU often involves destructive fishing methods, such as bottom trawling or the use of illegal nets. These practices harm habitats like coral reefs, seafloor ecosystems, and other marine organisms, causing long-lasting damage to the marine environment.
According to an official from the Shipping and Logistics Bureau, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, “Digital technologies are essential to addressing the pressing challenges facing our oceans. The task includes developing technologies such as autonomous ships and smart ports to enhance the efficiency of maritime transport, as well as building infrastructure for environmentally friendly marine fuels to achieve the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) goal of carbon neutrality in shipping by 2050.”
It is worth noting that the host country for this year’s Our Ocean Conference (OOC) has chosen “Ocean Digital” as a special agenda item, emphasizing the importance of digital solutions in addressing ocean issues.
Looking into the future Do-hyung Kang spoke about the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), which will convene in Nice, France, in June 2025 and will be co-chaired by the governments of France and Costa Rica. The conference aims to generate transformative action and provide solutions the ocean needs, supported by ocean science and funding for SDG 14, which is about ‘Life below Water.’
Goal 14 focuses on conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources, which cover three-quarters of the Earth’s surface, contain 97 percent of the Earth’s water, and represent 99 percent of the living space on the planet by volume.
Overall, the Minister was optimistic that the commitments discussed at the ongoing Busan conference will be further developed and carried forward to the Third UN Ocean Conference in June 2025, paving the way for more concrete discussions.
“In addition, we are working with Chile to establish the 4th UN Ocean Conference in 2028. Through the successful hosting of both the 10th OOC and the 4th UN Ocean Conference, we will strive to realize a sustainable ocean as a responsible and leading maritime nation. We look forward to even stronger international cooperation through global platforms,” he observed.
Chunsuk Son and Myeonghyo Ko are a mother-daughter duo who belong to a community of 13 highly skilled divers in Iho-dong village, Jeju Island. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS
JEJU ISLAND, Apr 27 2025 (IPS) – Ahead of the 10th Our Ocean Conference, with the theme “Our Ocean, Our Action,” comes a global call to protect the world’s oceans.
The conference starts tomorrow (April 28) and ends on Wednesday and takes place in Busan, Korea.
On Jeju Island, situated south of the Korean Peninsula and west of southern Japan, a community of traditional women divers protects an ocean in crisis.
Haenyeo are highly skilled female divers who dive to significant depths of up to 15 meters, often without the aid of oxygen tanks or other breathing equipment, and can hold their breath for extended periods of up to 45 seconds. They use a distinctive whistling sound, sumbi sori, when resurfacing to clear their lungs of carbon dioxide.
“Some of the women are in their 80s. We dive until we can no longer move. I am 69 years old. Until five years ago, when my daughter became a haenyeo, I was the youngest diver for 45 years. The oldest diver alive is 95 years old. She retired at 90 years. My mother was a diver too,” says Chunsuk Son, in Iho-dong village in Jeju Island.
Jeju Island is surrounded by both sea and ocean, as it is located in the East China Sea and also faces the Pacific Ocean to the south. The island is in the Korea Strait, surrounded by the Yellow Sea and the East/Japan Sea. Jeju Island is a unique location where the northern and southern distributional limits meet, as all species have limited ecological distributions.
Myeonghyo Ko, her daughter, a diver, and a university graduate, says haenyeo have extensive knowledge of the sea’s topography, marine life, and weather patterns that help them choose the best time and locations for diving to collect seafood like abalone, sea urchins, and seaweed while avoiding overfishing, respecting seasonal restrictions, and utilizing traditional ecological knowledge to protect the ocean.
The culture of Jeju Haenyeo is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On the 10th anniversary of the Our Ocean Conference under the theme ‘Our Ocean, Our Action’, such actions from the community, governments, international organizations, leading corporations, NGOs, and academia will be highlighted and promoted towards sustainable oceans.
Sanghoon Yoon, expert advisor at Paran Ocean Citizen Science Centre, an NGO founded for citizens to research and gather data for eco-diversity, says climate change is altering Jeju’s aquatic ecosystem “as species we have not seen before are appearing to replace native species. For instance, tropical fish and colorful corals are appearing in Jeju waters in place of the native conch, brown algae, and abalone.”
Jeju Island is a unique location where the northern and southern distributional limits meet. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS
“One-third of Jeju Ocean is devastated. It is no longer climate change but a climate crisis. But it is for us to really decide whether this is a crisis or a chance to restore and protect.”
As global warming takes a toll on the ecosystems of Korea’s seas, experienced divers say that slightly over a decade ago, coral reefs and sea anemones, whose natural habitat is in the subtropical waters, started appearing in the waters off the coast of Korea’s southern Jeju Island.
Sanghoon says the “average sea temperature of a subtropical ocean is 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Even compared to the average change of the climate, the temperature of the Jeju Ocean is increasing 2.5 times. There is new sea life as others, such as the seaweed forest, disappear.”
Against this backdrop, decades of harvesting the seas have disrupted the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. Nearly 90 percent of global marine fish stocks are fully exploited or overfished. And even those like the haenyeo, whose sea harvesting practices are sustainable, are also reducing.
Ko, Seung-chul, the head of Beophwan Haenyeo School and chairperson of the fishing village committee, says in 1966 there were an estimated 24,000 traditional female divers, “but they had reduced to 14,000 in the 1970’s, and further reduced to 7,800 in the 1980’s, and to 6,800 in the 1990’s and as recently as 2023, there were only 2,800 haenyeo. Our haenyeo village school trains young female divers to keep the culture alive, especially because our haenyeo are getting old.”
Against a backdrop of numerous challenges, an official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, told IPS that there is now an even greater need to expand marine protected areas (MPAs). These are designated areas where human activities are regulated or prohibited to protect marine resources and ecosystems from harm.
MPAs help restore fish stocks, protect sensitive habitats, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Jeju Island is designated as a protected area at home and abroad. UNESCO designated Jeju Island as a biosphere reserve in 2002, a World Natural Heritage site in 2007, and a Global Geopark in 2010, and the Korean government and local governments have also designated the island with various protected areas.
In a press briefing, Dr. Young Nam Kim from the Korea Environment Corporation (KOEM) stated that the current status of designated MPAs in Korea is such that there is a total of 17 marine ecosystem protected areas, three marine species protected areas, one marine scenic area, and 18 wetland protected areas.
But as the tour around Jeju Island revealed, in the backdrop of large-scale development projects and nearly 16 million visitors per year, the Jeju Sea is in a critical condition due to rapid increase in water temperature, coastal pollution, sea desertification, and changes in species due to climate change.
The Busan conference, about 306 kilometers away from Jeju Island, is expected to deliver lasting solutions to these pressing challenges by building on previous legacy and providing the global ocean community with a platform to build back better.
India’s Home Minister Amit Shah interacting with the families of those injured in the terror attack. Credit: Supplied
SRINAGAR, Apr 25 2025 (IPS) – Abdul Majeed Mir strolls leisurely among the purple crocus flower rows in Pampore’s saffron fields as the morning mist hovers low over them. His family has been growing this valuable spice, called “red gold,” for many generations, but now his hands go through the harvest mechanically. There is a noticeable lack of the typical commotion of tourists haggling over saffron packets.
Mir rubs a pinch of the fragrant stigma between his fingers and sighs, “This should be our best season in years.
“Who will buy it now, even though the yield is great? Most tourists left within hours of the attack.” His gaze moves over the deserted roadside stands where merchants would typically vie for customers’ attention.
While the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 lasted less than 30 minutes, its effects will be felt for years to come. Twenty-six people were killed and numerous others were injured when four gunmen opened fire at one of Kashmir’s most visited tourist spots. Local employees like Adil Shah, a 32-old pony-wala who was the only provider for his elderly parents, as well as honeymooners and vacationing families, were among the victims.
The attack ratcheted up tensions between India and Pakistan, with New Delhi’s response being to revoke visas, close a border crossing and suspend the Indus Water Treaty. The region has been in dispute between the two countries and China since, and in 2019 India revoked the self-governing special status for Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad closed its airspace to India and warned that interference in the water supply will be considered an act of war.
Locals in Kashmir protesting against the Pahalgam terror attack. This is the first attack on tourists in the region’s recent history. Credit: Supplied
The exodus started as word got out about the massacre. Dal Lake houseboats filled up in a matter of hours. As houseboat owner Tariq Ahmed remembers, “Guests were packing one minute and photographing the sunset the next. All twelve of my boats were empty by midnight.
His voice cracks as he adds, “They didn’t even wait for breakfast. Just left in whatever transport they could find.”
The statistics present a bleak picture. Within 48 hours, 90 percent of scheduled tourist reservations were cancelled. More than 2,000 tour packages were cancelled. The immediate losses are estimated by the hospitality industry to be more than fifteen million dollars. However, there are innumerable human tragedies playing out in slow motion behind these figures.
Arif Khan, owner of a souvenir shop in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk market, puts unsold walnut wood carvings back in their boxes. Wiping dust from an elaborately carved jewelry box, he explains, “April to September is when we earn our entire year’s income.”
“I’ll have to pull my kids out of school if tourists don’t come back.” As he puts another unsold item back on the shelf, his hands shake.
Tourism is just one aspect of the crisis. Shopian apple grower Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Khan strolls through his orchard. He looks at a young flower on one of his apple trees and remarks, “Nearly a third of our direct sales come from tourists.
“They purchase boxes to take home after visiting the orchards. Without them…” he ponders as he gazes down the endless rows of trees that symbolize his family’s livelihood.
Indian army cordoning off the tourist spot where the attack happened that claimed the lives of more than 27 civilians. Credit: Supplied
The timing of the attack couldn’t have been worse for the farmers of Kashmir. This was meant to be a recovery season following years of droughts and erratic weather patterns brought on by climate change. Pampore has the highest saffron yield in recent memory. There were lots of apple blossoms in Shopian. Farmers now have to deal with the possibility of their harvests rotting in warehouses as the tourism industry collapses.
Master carpet weaver Mohammad Yusuf works alone in his quiet workshop in downtown Srinagar’s handicraft district. Usually, a dozen craftspeople would be working, and the sound of looms would fill the air. Only Yusuf is left today. He runs his fingers across a partially completed carpet and says, “I had to let everyone go.
“No orders if there are no tourists. Since my showroom hasn’t seen any customers in three days, how can I pay wages?”
The psychological toll is equally devastating. In Pahalgam, where the attack occurred, hotelier Imtiyaz Ahmad sits in his empty lobby.
“We had just finished renovations,” he says, staring at the vacant reception desk. “New furniture, new linen, everything ready for peak season.” His investment of nearly USD 50,000 now seems like a cruel joke. “The banks won’t care that there was an attack. The loans still need to be paid.”
Mass Exodus of tourists being witnessed from Kashmir. A view of jam-packed Kashmir airport. Credit: Supplied
For pony-walas and shikara operators, the situation is even more dire. These daily wage workers have no savings to fall back on. “I used to earn eight hundred rupees a day [10 USD] taking tourists on rides,” says pony-wala Bashir Ahmad. “Now I’m lucky if I make fifty rupees carrying firewood.”
He gestures to his two ponies standing listlessly in the shade. “How do I feed them? How do I feed my family?”
The human cost extends beyond economics. The image of a young bride sitting beside her husband’s lifeless body has become seared into the national consciousness. Their honeymoon, meant to be the beginning of a life together, ended in a hail of bullets. Similar stories echo across India as families mourn loved ones who went to Kashmir seeking beauty and found only tragedy.
Yet amid the despair, there are glimmers of hope and humanity. Local residents opened their homes to stranded tourists, offering food and shelter free of charge. Doctors tirelessly worked around the clock to treat the wounded. “This is not who we are,” says college student Aisha Malik, who helped coordinate relief efforts. “We want the world to know the real Kashmir—the one of hospitality and peace.”
As the sun sets over Dal Lake, the silence is deafening. Where there should be laughter and the splash of oars, there is only stillness. The houseboats sit empty. The shikaras remain tied to their docks. The souvenir shops have turned off their lights.
Abdul Majeed Mir walks home through his saffron fields, the day’s harvest in his basket.
“We survived the worst of the conflict in the 1990s,” he says. “We’ll survive this too.”
But the uncertainty in his eyes betrays his words. For Kashmir’s tourism-dependent economy and for the thousands of families who rely on it, the coming months will be a test of resilience unlike any they’ve faced before.
“The terrorists may have only pulled their triggers for minutes, but the echoes of those gunshots will reverberate through Kashmir’s valleys for years to come. In the empty hotels, the silent markets, and the untrodden paths of what was once a paradise for travelers, the true cost of violence becomes painfully clear. It’s measured not just in lives lost, but in dreams deferred, livelihoods destroyed, and a people’s faith in the future shaken to its core,” Showkat Ahmad Malik, a fruit grower from Kashmir’s Anantnag, told Inter Press Service.
Tourism accounts for 6.98 percent of the state’s GDP and is considered a key sector of Kashmir’s economy; 80 percent of Kashmir’s population, which is 12.5 million, is directly or indirectly dependent on it.
Health workers getting ready for duty at an mpox treatment center in Lwiro in the Democratic Republic of Congo’, a hotspot for the pandemic that CD Africa handled in 2024. Credit: WHO
NAIROBI, Apr 24 2025 (IPS) – The majority of African countries are yet to commit 15 percent of their GDP to funding the health sector, despite the growing disease burden weighing down the continent and two decades after the coming into force of the Abuja declaration on health sector funding.
Only a few countries, including Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde, have consistently met the 15 percent target, with some countries allocating less than 10 percent of their budget to the crucial sector.
Under the Abuja Declaration of 2001, African Union (AU) member states made a commitment to end the continent’s health financing crisis, pledging to allocate at least 15 percent of national budgets to the sector. However, more than two decades later, only three countries—Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde—have consistently met or exceeded this target (WHO, 2023). In contrast, over 30 AU member states remain well below the 10 percent benchmark, with some allocating as little as 5–7 percent of their national budgets to health.
Countries including Nigeria, Chad, and the Central African Republic are allocating as little as 5–7 percent to the sector, thanks to a myriad of political and economic challenges, including a high debt burden and narrow tax base, according to Director General of Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), Dr. Jean Kaseya.
Competing demands for security and infrastructure financing and limited coordination between ministries of health and finance, plus the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic “hit national budgets hard,” worsened by global economic instability, haven’t helped matters, he said, while commenting on the latest annual report of the continental health body and the 2025 concept paper on Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era, both released in April.
Wivine M’puranyi, a 30-year-old mother of six from the village of Karanda in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s South Kivu, reflects on the distressing days when her two daughters were diagnosed with mpox, one of the pandemics that hit Africa in 2024. Credit: WHO
“It also exposes just how costly underinvesting in health can be. The real story here is political will, where leaders prioritize health, and budgets follow,” he noted.
The report finds that only 16-29 percent of African countries currently have updated versions of the National Health Development Plan (NHDP) supported by a National Health Financing Plan (NHFP), the two documents being critical in driving internal resource mobilization.
“Updating National Health Development Plans (NHDPs) and National Health Financing Plans (NHFPs) is not just a matter of paperwork—it’s a heavy lift. Countries need robust data, skilled teams, funding, and strong inter-ministerial coordination,” he said.
Low funding has a consequence: it has led to many health departments being understaffed and overstretched, partly because some governments ‘deprioritize’ updating the two documents because they fear the plans won’t be implemented or be funded. “But without current, credible plans, it’s nearly impossible to make a case for more domestic or external investment. These documents are not bureaucratic checkboxes—they’re investment blueprints,” the DG told IPS.
He noted that countries that have updated and actively used their NHDPs and NHFPs have seen tangible benefits, one such country being Burkina Faso, where an updated NHFP had helped streamline funding and implementation for free healthcare policy.
In Senegal, incorporating macroeconomic forecasting into the NHFP improved budget predictability and donor alignment. “These tools are powerful when they are costly, realistic, and regularly monitored. But let’s be clear; plans must be funded and used—not just filed away—to make a real difference,” Kaseya added.
According to the documents, Africa continues to carry a disproportionate share of the global disease burden—25 percent—but with only 3 percent of the global health workforce, resulting in a “dangerously overstretched workforce,” according to the documents. Should this shortage be prioritized over all other health needs and deficiencies, or what should be addressed first?
The shortage of health workers remains a fundamental challenge, with Africa carrying 25 percent of the global disease burden but a disproportionate 3 percent of the global health workforce—a challenge that cannot be addressed “in isolation.”
Likobiso Posholi, 35, from Ha Sechele village in Mohale’s Hoek in Lesotho, recovering from a recent cesarean section. Many countries in Africa are yet to commit 15 percent of the national budgets so that women like Posholi can access affordable maternity services. Credit: WHO
However, recruiting en masse without sustainable financing or strategic deployment can strain the system, and in some countries, trained professionals remain unemployed due to fiscal constraints or wage bill ceilings. “Kenya, for example, is piloting co-financing mechanisms between national and local governments to overcome this. The key is to tackle workforce gaps through integrated, context-specific reforms that link financing, recruitment, and health system needs,” Kaseya said.
The Africa CDC has drafted a three-pronged strategy and placed it at the forefront of a health financing revolution that could potentially represent a paradigm shift from dependency to self-determination. Some aspects of the strategy can be implemented immediately without being subjected to a lot of bureaucracy in view of the emergency brought about by cuts in Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), he added.
Reductions in ODA went down by 70 percent between 2021 and 2025, exposing health systems to deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities and placing immense pressure on Africa’s already fragile health systems, with overseas financing being seen as the backbone of critical health programmes.
These include pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services, and disease control initiatives, all of which are at risk, threatening Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Universal Health Coverage.
“Some components of our strategy can be rapidly deployed. Health taxes on products like tobacco, sugar, and alcohol are politically sensitive but technically straightforward and yield dual benefits, generating revenue and promoting healthier populations. Strengthening health financing units within ministries is a high-impact, low-cost intervention that can dramatically improve budget execution and efficiency,” Kaseya suggested.
Likewise, deploying digital tools—such as real-time dashboards to track financing flows—can happen quickly and with limited bureaucracy. Countries like Benin, South Africa, and Ethiopia are already implementing such reforms with measurable progress.
He pitched that digitization of the health sector is no longer a luxury, as it is foundational to the much-needed resilient, transparent, and efficient health systems.
On the other hand, the platforms improve decision-making, enable better resource tracking, and enhance service delivery. However, fragmentation of digital solutions remains a challenge, with many platforms developed in ‘silos,’ often “donor-driven and poorly integrated,” he commented.
He singled out Ghana, which offered a strong example of progress, having developed a national platform that integrates health and financing data. “The true value of digitization is realized when countries lead the process, ensure interoperability, and embed digital solutions into broader system reforms,” Kaseya said.
On the positive side, CDC Africa for the first time led an emergency response, putting in place a Joint Continental Incidence Management Support Team (IMST) co-led with the World Health Organization and bringing together over 28 partners to collaborate on the Mpox response. This work was done under the “One team with a One unified plan, One budget, and One monitoring framework.”
“This is a historic first that marked a significant milestone in Africa’s leadership of public health emergencies of continental significance,” the report observed.
It further supported national responses to “multiple major public health emergencies,” including the mpox outbreak in 20 AU member states and the Marburg virus disease outbreak in Rwanda. This was in declaring the former a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) on August 13, 2024, in consultation with the affected countries and relevant stakeholders.
Also on the positive side, the continental health body was advancing a comprehensive three-pillar strategy centered on domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and blended finance.
