I just returned from a week in Portugal where I attended the 7th biennial Global Wave Conference. The conference brings together the world’s surfing conservation groups to tackle pressing issues facing our ocean, coasts and coastal communities. People from Australia, New Zealand, South and North America, Africa and Europe, representing 20 different countries, spent three days sharing challenges, successes and solutions to major issues ranging from the impact of climate change to ocean pollution. It was clear there are common issues affecting our ocean, waves and beaches across the globe. They include sewage pollution, plastic waste, offshore drilling, and the impacts of climate change on our coasts. This conference also included important discussions about inclusion in the line up and at the beach and carrying capacity challenges from overcrowding.
This conference is built from the ground up, and each year a organization volunteers to take on the herculean task of organizing the conference as a side project. Big shout out to the team from Surfrider Portugal for hosting and organizing this year's conference.
It’s clear that the surf environmental movement is attracting some of the brightest minds in ocean conservation and is bringing authenticity, creativity and innovation to coastal conservation and developing new and exciting ways to protect our coasts and engage more people in conservation.
The best part of the GWC is the people. There really is no substitute for convening in person, and the attendees continue to be passionate, warm, open, keen to share and stoked. Building this global network of ocean- and coastal conservation-minded folks will help each of us do better at our very important jobs, which brings me to my three takeaways from the conference.
Nik from Save the Waves, myself, and Daniela a Surfrider club leader and Save the Waves project coordinator.
People: People power is what drives necessary change. We need strong laws, policies and governance structures too, but most existing regulations were created by public pressure to begin with. Active public participation drives effective policy , ensures enforcement and otherwise achieves on-the-ground change. Grassroots, community participation is essential for successful coastal and conservation, as is investing in the next generation of coastal defenders who will continue to carry the torch.
Global Wave Conference activists from 20 countries across the globe working to protect our ocean, waves and beaches.
Power: Building political power through community action is essential for successful conservation. Whether oil and gas companies drilling offshore, the plastics industry or private water treatment business, their economic motivations are at odds with coastal and ocean conservation. They have more money, but the conservation movement has more people. We need more people to get involved with conservation to overcome the odds that are against us.
Big Wave Surfing and Activism panel featuring Miguel Blanco, Katie McConnell, João de Macedo, Greg Long, and Maya Gabeira.
Pace: To quote Bill McKibben, “Pace is the most important variable right now...” The important question is not if we will get it right, it’s whether we will get it right quickly enough. Issues like climate change and plastic pollution are accelerating, so we must act with urgency and scale solutions in proportion to the issues we face. We have to take action more quickly and everywhere.
People, Power and Pace are key to the future of coastal and ocean conservation and each was enabled by the Global Wave Conference. I really appreciate Adam Hall’s takeaways from the conference, where he challenged us to think about how to get the learnings, sharing and solutions out to a broader audience more quickly. Something to think about while we anticipate the next the Global Wave Conference in 2025.
Obrigado.
Surfrider Affiliates Unite! Etienne from Surfrider Morocco, Gustavo from Surfrider Argentina, Susie from Surfrider Australia, me, Babacar from Surfrider Senegal, and Florent from Surfrider Europe.