There have been several cases of marine pollution in the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Province in Indonesia in the past which has highlighted the need to mitigate and prevent these events in the future. One of those ways is to create a fast response team and a coordination mechanism in order to equip the NTT Province with the right tools to tackle these threats. ATSEA-2 with the Directorate of Marine Resources Supervision from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) are supporting efforts in mitigating marine pollution in the Timor Seas and other areas in the NTT Province. These efforts are in line with the implementation of an Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in Rote Ndao District in the NTT Province.

In the last quarter of 2020, the ATSEA-2 team in Indonesia has been continuously working together with MMAF and the local government in NTT to discuss and implement these mitigation measures. Most recently, through setting up a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) meeting and preparing drafts for the action plans on marine pollution. Through the FGD meeting the Central government and the Provincial government of NTT committed to forming a Marine Pollution Mitigation team in the NTT marine areas, which consist of sub-teams focusing on Data and Information, Quick Response, and Communication. An initial draft of the decree to the Mitigation team was also prepared. In the draft preparation meeting participants collected information in regards to the duties and responsibilities of the Mitigation team, compiled and agreed to the action plans to be taken, and to formulate and agree on strategies to officially ratify the Marine Pollution Mitigation team in the NTT marine areas.

The important events above were attended by directors and members of MMAF, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesian Sea and Coastguard, the Department of Maritime and Investment, the Ministry of Transportation, NTT government, ATSEA-2 NCU Indonesia, UNDP Indonesia, and ATSEA-2 RPMU, among others.

Through these meetings, several actions will be undertaken to implement the activities further, which include establishing a joint secretariat for the Mitigation team along with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the NTT Provincial government, to legally ratify the decree by the Provincial government, and to facilitate coordination meeting with all members of the Mitigation team to further cement their understanding on the task in preventing marine pollution in the NTT marine areas.