Daily log: Clive's journey through CBD COP 10 in Nagoya Japan

22 October - Clive Hawigen is a 25 year old now interning with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). He was born and raised in a village in the highlands of Papua New Guinea in Goroka. For Clive, traveling is a new experience - he had never left Goroka until he ventured to Samoa to start working for SPREP.

This is a daily journal of Clive's voyage during the CBD COP 10 in Nagoya, Japan. He will share with us his adventure as it's his very first time to leave the Pacific region and travel far across the World.

Read on!

Last night I went to the radio tower in Nagoya’s Central Park. Going up 95 meters above the ground and looking out to see Nagoya was breath taking.

At the top of the tower is called lover’s sanctuary and though it is definitely a romantic spot the view itself was amazing. The place had engraved metal plates glued to the side of the wall wishing lovers’ happy wedding anniversary and as I was coming back down a couple was going up to get married. In a panoramic view from above, the lights of Nagoya shined as far as the eyes could see.

I never realized that the city was so big and it would probably take you two to three days going around it.

Again during the day at the Nagoya Conference Centre we did the Pacific Side Event that attracted a lot of audience. Issues from the Pacific were discussed and highlighted and the general concession from those who attended stated that the Pacific had done a lot of work to protect island biodiversity.

The day turned out to be a success as most of the Pacific delegation to COP10 came in there island wear. I was proud that day of being a Pacific Islander seeing the Tuvaluans, Samoans, PNG, FSM and Palau and Solomon Islanders coming out to show the colour and vibrancy of the Pacific.

Although I was wearing a Samoan shirt, I couldn’t help wondering that if I had known I was coming here to Japan before I even started with SPREP, I would have brought along my Asaro mudman costume. Covered in grey clay from head to toe, my mask resembling a spirit of the bush, holding a bow and arrow or sharp pointed fingers made from bamboo would showcase how the Pacific is so diverse and that we depend largely on our biodiversity for survival.

Our biodiversity is not only a source of food but the basic materials that we also need for everyday life.