Priorities
Holistic understanding and integrated action are needed to overcome the challenges of our entangled and connected world while simultaneously finding tangible solutions. For this project in particular, IUCN, CI and partners are focusing on the following items to ensure maximum impact and effective change resulting in the acceleration of the conservation, restoration and protection of coastal and marine ecosystems globally.
Reducing stressors
Reducing the human induced threats and stressors is a key step to achieving healthy coastal and marine ecosystems. Healthy habitats, coupled with active conservation efforts can act as Nature-based Solutions to many global societal challenges.
Here our priority work areas are:
The reduction of CO2 / GHGs in the atmosphere and ocean, through the conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems and in particular blue-carbon ecosystems.
The ocean is an integral part of the Earth’s climate system, and its integrity is at risk from the impacts of climate change. The most important action is the rapid and at-scale reduction of global GHG emission for ensuring the health and integrity of the ocean. Some coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses and saltmarshes, also known as the coastal blue carbon habitats, contribute to climate mitigation by sequestering carbon.
Primary target Agreements: UNFCCC, Ramsar and CBD
Other Agreements: WH, SDGs
In the attempt to raise ambition and provide technical guidance for global coastal and marine planning efforts, including blue carbon habitats the following efforts are underway:
How to address ocean issues more broadly in the context of the UNFCCC is discussed in the recent (Dec 2010) policy brief on the UNFCCC SBSTA Dialogue on the Ocean and Climate Change. {link to resource page}
The Guidelines for Blue Carbon and Nationally Determined Contributions provide technical guidance to countries and other stakeholder interested in including coastal blue carbon in their NDCs. {add link to download on this site as well}
Coastal ecosystems already feature as mitigation action in several Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). A full analysis of the 2020/2021 submissions of NDCs is forthcoming. {this will become a link to the analysis when ready later this year}
The Blue Carbon Initiative provides further details on the science, methodologies and project implementation on coastal blue carbon. {Link to BCI website}
Opportunities and needs for integrated action by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands will be available shortly.
The reduction of negative impacts from unsustainable coastal development, including climate mitigation infrastructure to ensure that global efforts to mitigate GHGs do not have negative consequences on coastal and marine systems (including blue carbon habitats).
Coastal and marine ecosystems, including mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses, as well as other systems such as coral reefs, are irreversibly lost due to unsustainable coastal land use transformation. Infrastructure projects developed around the world’s coastline are still not consistently framed by environmental and social safeguards, impact assessments and eligibility criteria. Even well intended climate infrastructure projects may negatively harm coastal ecosystems if not planned into perpetuity with nature.
Coastal planning is thus integral to bring into alignment the global goals of climate, biodiversity and sustainable development. {Link to coastal planning webpage on our site}
Primary target Agreements: UNFCCC, CBD
Other Agreements: WH, SDGs
In the attempt to raise ambition for global coastal and marine planning efforts, the following efforts are underway:
Nature-based solutions (NbS) anchored in and serving coastal ecosystems can help to make infrastructure investments better, more resilient and financially more attractive. More practical implementation guidance is also available. Yet further policy incentives and direction need to be developed and agreed upon. {https://bluenaturalcapital.org/our-approach/innovative-bnc-finance-blue-infrastructure/} {https://www.conservation.org/projects/global-green-gray-community-of-practice}
Green-gray infrastructure approaches, a noted nature-based solution, offers alignment on fulfilling commitments and reporting across conventions and agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. National-level actions accelerating the uptake of green-grey infrastructure can be translated into international-level commitments on climate change, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development.
Technical guidance on how to mitigate biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy are also available.
Policy analysis and expert discussions are continuing and will be available here shortly.
Visit the library for recommendations on reducing stressors currently not addressed in this priority list such as sustainable fisheries or reducing marine plastic.
Conservation
Coastal and marine ecosystems need to be actively conserved, protected and restored. Uncoordinated use and development however with and around coastal and marine ecosystems create inefficiencies and conflicts. Panning efforts, such as integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), as well as management plans such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), can greatly contribute to both reducing human stressors while actively conserving marine and coastal ecosystems. International policy needs to be synergized to raise ambition, provide technical guidance and means for implementation, as called for, amongst others, by IUCN’s resolution on “Enhancing the resilience of coastal areas in the face of climate change”.
Our priority work areas are:
Integrated coastal and marine planning to maximise conservation impacts through holistic planning approaches.
Integrated coastal and ocean management (ICZM) is a holistic, integrated, knowledge- and ecosystem-based approach that considers multiple uses and pressures, reconciling competing uses, with the objective of ensuring the sustainability of coastal and marine ecosystems.
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) for holistic ecosystem health identifies what spaces of the ocean are appropriate for different sustainable uses or activities in order to reduce conflicts and to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives while ensuring the health of the entire ecosystem is maintained, restored and or conserved.
Conserved, protected and restored coastal and marine ecosystems can play a significant role as natural infrastructure for climate adaptation as well as disaster risk reduction. Nature-based Solutions can reduce the impacts of climate change and natural hazards. Additionally, coastal conservation has the potential to make grey infrastructure more resilient to climate change effects and add long-term value to natural infrastructure assets.
{https://bluenaturalcapital.org/our-approach/innovative-bnc-finance-blue-infrastructure/}
SDG’s goal 14 –Life under Water needs to remain a priority for countries. Especially target 14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans – needs to be operatized, also via increased synergies with international efforts such as the UNFCCC and the CBD.
Primary target Agreements: UNFCCC, CBD, Ramsar
Other Agreements: WH, SDGs, Sendai Framework
In the attempt to raise ambition for global coastal and marine planning efforts, the following efforts are underway:
The role of coastal and marine ecosystems have long been recognized by many countries, and has now also been embedded in the work of the UNFCCC’s Nairobi Work Programme on impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change (NWP) which has now established an active expert group related to ocean topics. Find the latest NWP products here.
The CBD has also targeted efforts via a dedicated thematic Programme of Work on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity, as well as cross-cutting themes such as Climate Change and Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Restoration. The CBD is also discussing coastal and marine conservation as part of the Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework. See the latest recommendations here. {Add statements made by IUCN and CI here}
Policy analysis and expert discussions are continuing and key opportunities will be outlined here in due course.
Area-based ocean management to achieve local impacts based on connectivity and adaptive management
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) – areas of the ocean set aside for long-term conservation aims – are the only mainstream conservation-focussed, area-based measure to increase the quality and extent of ocean protection. A network of MPAs offer a form of nature-based solution supporting global efforts towards counteracting the impacts of climate change, as well as the ensuring the conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity in these areas.
Currently, only 6.35% of the ocean is protected, with approximately 1.89% in exclusively no-take MPAs. Likeminded countries, such as via the UK led Global Ocean Alliance 30 by 30 initiative, are actively supporting a future global target of 30% ocean conservation by the year 2030. The aim is to create a network of MPAs that traverse both national jurisdiction within a countries’ Exclusive Economic Zone and the ocean in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This project will consider connectivity as a whole and specifically focused on the impacts of and to coastal and marine ecosystems within EEZs.
Management of marine areas exist beyond MPAs. For the purposes of this project, there are two. These are 1. Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMA) and 2. Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).
Add as a pop-up for 1. {Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMA) are different from MPAs in that MPA’s are typically designated through a top-down approach with little to no local inputs. LLMAs however are distinctly characterized by local ownership, use and or control and in some places follow the traditional tenure and management practices of the region.}
LMMAs are areas of near shore waters and associated coastal and marine resources that are largely or wholly managed at the local level by the coastal communities, land owning group, partner organizations, and/or collaborative government representatives who live or are based in the immediate area.
Add as a pop up for 2. {Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) is a conservation designation for areas that are achieving in-situ conservation of biodiversity outside of protected areas. It is specifically defined by Parties to the CBD as follows: “A geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values (CBD, 2018).” The voluntary guidance on OECMs are available for Indigenous peoples and local communities, organizations and governments to both identify and report data on OECMs at the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMW) through the World Databased on OECMs}
The goal is to have LMMAs and OECMs internationally recognized and that all sites have access to international funding to enable the acceleration of conservation and restoration at scale globally.
Primary target Agreements: CBD, SDG 14
Other Agreements: Ramsar, UNFCCC, BBNJ
In the attempt to raise ambition for coastal and marine protection, IUCN and CI
are strongly supporting the global call for 30 percent marine conserved areas by 2030 – the latest recommendations can be found here.
are exploring means to support the international call for a Global Coastal Forum.
are supporting the recognition of emerging and existent LMMAs and OECMs as being eligible to access international funds and be part of the international data base of conserved areas (WCMC)
Policy analysis and expert discussions are continuing and will be available here shortly.
Restoration
Primary target Agreements: CBD, UNFCCC, SDG 14
Other Agreements: Ramsar, Sendai Framework
In the attempt to raise ambition for restoration, provide policy advance and strengthen technical guidance, the following efforts are underway:
CI and partners have developed specific inputs with respect to the ongoing negotiations on carbon markets under the Paris Agreement (known as Article 6) calling for guidance that allows for international trading from mitigation actions across all sectors, including nature-based solutions. These rules should encourage the generation of high-quality emission reductions transfers to drive needed flows of finance to mitigation actions, addressing both sources and sinks.
CI and partners are working to build green-grey policy and incentives into country-level actions that meet international commitments in several conventions including in UNFCCC (via NDCs), CBD, SDG 14 and Ramsar.
Jointly with leading experts, opportunities to boost coastal and marine ecosystems restoration via the UNFCCC and other international agreements will be developed. Check back shortly!
Impact Enablers
For actual impact to happen on the ground, several enabling conditions and support mechanisms need to be made available via international policy making, from research, and technology transfer to capacity building. We focus here only on two such enabling factors, namely finance and monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) (jump to below). Both these topics have high synergistic potential between existing conventions and are regularly highlighted as those needing the most attention for the outcome desired by this project.
Finance
Increased financial flows, both from private sector as well as governments are needed to improve and fast-track implementation on the ground. They also need to be channelled where they are needed the most.
The biggest needs in finance include increased funding support (or resource mobilization) for capacity building and national MRV (jump to below) as well as for increased private finance for active conservation action, including small and large-scale coastal restoration projects.
The international policy arena is important for directing money insofar as:
It provides the overall policy signals of the world’s future directions. It diverts attention away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, and increases awareness of the value of Nature-based Solutions(NbS).
It can provide market signals to private investors such as through the ongoing negotiations of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement Art 6.
It can develop new funding mechanisms such as the UNFCCC REDD+ or the Ramsar Small Grants Fund (SGF).
It can establish large new funding within entities such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Adaptation Fund or the more recent Green Climate Find (GCF)
The UNFCCC, for example, has a Standing Committee on Finance with a yearly Forum (next one due in 2021). The upcoming Forums is focused on financing NbS. Occasions like these offer the possibility to ensure a strong discussion focus can be on the opportunities and gaps for financing coastal and marine contributions to mitigation and adaptation.
Primary target Agreements: CBD, UNFCCC, SDG 14
Other Agreements: Ramsar, Sendai Framework
In an attempt to mobilize additional, synergistic finance for coastal conservation, the following efforts are underway:
Through the work of the UNFCCC Nairobi Work Program (NWP) expert group on oceans, a few technical informational briefs are being developed:
Considerations for developing high-quality coastal adaptation NbS proposals to the Green Climate Fund (available shortly)
Ocean Finance Snapshot Guide (available shortly)
A specific coastal and marine Thematic Session is planned for the UNFCCC Technology Day, jointly with Friends of Ecosystem Based Adaptation (FEBA), and UNFCCC TEC. More information on this will be available here shortly.
Supporting the development of the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance’s Forum on NbS
Monitoring, Reporting and Verification is foundational to our global response to climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development.
MRV enables countries to meet international climate reporting requirements such as National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories, National Communications and Biennial Update Reports. It also importantly enables countries to demonstrate progress under measures such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Global Stocktake (GST) under the UNFCCC, but also for National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) under the CBD, or for national reporting under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For many developing countries, and even developed countries, such responsibilities can be quite onerous, especially if the reporting indicators are not the same between conventions. Thus having harmonized and aligned MRV processes can facilitate countries’ efforts to report on broader climate change, biodiversity and sustainable economic development objectives.
Primary target Agreements: UNFCCC, CBD, SDG
Other Agreements: Ramsar
In the attempt to harmonize MRV, the following efforts are underway:
A briefing note on the Ocean and the UNFCCC Global Stocktake.
A review, jointly with the Save Our Mangroves Now! and the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) on relevant mangrove indicators for the CBD post 2020 framework and the UNFCCC GST.