MARINE RESEARCH FOR MANAGING CONFLICT AND COUNTERING CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECT IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA: CASE STUDY OF ANAMBAS EXPEDITION

Abstract

South China Sea (SCS) is the sea with rich of biodiversity and located in a strategic area as well as its huge deposit of oil and gas. This region is claimed in whole or part by six countries: China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei. Given this conflict acuter and its affect environmental degradation as well as it worsens by climate change, Indonesia initiated an informal diplomacy (Track Two Diplomacy) to reconcile the disputing parties to design cooperation. Cooperation that “low-politics” risk is marine research cooperation. After talks, quite a long since 1990, finally countries surrounding the SCS agreed to do a research collaboration namely Anambas Expedition in Riau Islands in 2002. The study aims to determine the contribution of marine research in conflict management at sea in 2002’s as well as creates awareness of the effect of climate change. This study is a qualitative approach with methods textual analysis through the available documents. The result is a marine research can be the entry point for cooperation by the disputing parties to create mutual understanding.