UNEP COBSEA Marine and Coastal Assessments

Dr. Ellik Adler, Coordinator, COBSEA

17 Regional Seas Programmes - 143 countries(14 Conventions and 3 Action Plans)

To serve as a regional platform for cooperation and coordination of activities that contribute to the sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment

To serve as a platform for regional implementation of global conventions, MEAs and global programmes and initiatives (such as the RP)

Main Objectives of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans

COBSEA, UNEP Regional Seas Programme for the East Asian Seas Region

9 countries; Formed in 1981 as anINTERGOVERNMENTAL PLATFORM but – no legally binding convention; Mandate - to coordinate activities on the conservation and management of the marine and coastal environment; (COBSEA Secretariat) is based in Bangkok.

COBSEA Marine and Coastal Assessments• SOMER

• Marine Litter

•Coastal Erosion

• AES Knowledgebase

•Marine Biodiversity

• Spatial Planning

1. State of the Marine Environment Report

EAS SOMER 2009 (Published 2010)• Presents the current status and projected trends

for the coastal and marine environment;• Analyses ongoing management initiatives at

national and regional levels;• Identifies emerging issues in coastal and marine

environment; • Analyses case studies, best practices and

effective management measures to address current and emerging concerns;

• Trends based on information over a 25-year period between 1981 and 2006 with new information up to 2009 included as far as possible;

CONTENTS OF REPORT• Introduction • Socio-economic

development• State and trend of the

coastal and marine environment

• Economic valuation of coastal and marine environment

• Outlook• Options for action

VULNERABILITY OF THE EAS REGION• Climate-related hazards impose substantial socio-

economic burden; • Cost of direct damage by tropical cyclones and

flood-related damages increased in recent decades;

• Decline in quality of region’s marine and coastal waters by: sewage, domestic wastes, industrial effluents and urban and agricultural runoffs, oil spills and shipping, marine litter;

• Alarming rising levels of nutrients from land-based sources leading to increased risk of harmful algal blooms (HABs);

• Suspended solids in rivers quadrupled since late 1970s; 2/3 of the world’s total sediment transport to oceans occur in Southeast Asia;

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION• The development and implementation of

improved management strategies that integrate economic and environmental concerns;

• The improved management and regulation of the fisheries industry;

• Measures to prevent or mitigate kinds of disasters especially climate change associated ones;

• Address emerging problems such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, invasive species and marine early;

2. Assessment on Pressures, Status and Response to marine and coastal biodiversity threats in the COBSEA

region”

The Pressures:• Overexploitation of fisheries (cause changes in fish

composition and decrease productivity);• Land-based pollution that can alter the marine

ecosystem impacting biodiversity and productivity; • Increased CO2 flux into the sea impacting diversity

(through acidification);

The Impacts (Stress on the ecosystem):• changes in marine trophic level, the number of

endangered species, ocean acidification (limit shell forming), etc.

The Responses by the region’s states in terms of policy change and management actions (NAPs, NAPAs, MPAs, etc).

Conclusions and Recommendations (easily read by decision makers)

• Over-exploitation of fishing resources continues to be a major problem driven partly by the need for protein and by overcapacity in the fishing fleetsand illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.

• Decline in mean trophic index caused by the fishing down the food chain phenomenon, where the large carnivorous fish and eventually to declining yields.Growing demand for fish protein will be met by the continued expansion of aquaculture, but care should be taken that growth in the industry is sustainable.

• Pollution of the coastal environment is severe in the region and the outflow of nutrients as a result of man’s activities is forecasted to double by the year 2050 unless action is taken.

• Other anthropogenic impacts affecting biodiversity are coming from habitat loss, such as the reclamation of 40% of the coastal habitats in the Yellow Sea and the loss of mangroves as a result of the increasing demandfor coastal land from aquaculture, industry, settlements and agriculture.

• As result of increasing atmospheric CO2 levels, the region’s seas are absorbing significant amounts of anthropogenic CO2 resulting in acidification of the seas and an increase in SST.

• The loss of these nutrient absorbing and sedimentation capacity of coastal habitats and the rise in CO2 levels are making the seas, warmer, increasingly eutrophic and decreasing the pH and photic depth, all scenarios that do not bode well for coral reefs in the East Asian Seas.

• The region appears to be moving towards addressing some of the most pressing issues and at least some legislation has been passed in all countries to reduce land-based pollution;

• Legislation appears to be in place to mitigate pressures, more active enforcement is required.

• The region has also made progress in protecting coastal biodiversity, with the introduction of some 1356 MPAs. But this is still far from being ecologically representative or comprehensive and from achieving the CBD target of conservation of at least 10% of each of the world's ecological regions.

• Little progress has been made in protecting the regions biodiversity from the increasing marine traffic and the associate risk of contamination from oil/chemical spills and the release of alien and invasive species during ballast water exchange.

• Despite the diverse social, economic and political conditions that prevail in the COBSEA region there is growing awarenessand environmental concern. Member countries appear to be committed to dealing with the environmental issues introducing new legislation.

3. Additional Assessments3. Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning

(Sida Project)

4. Marine Litter (COBSEA Regional Action Plan)

5. Coastal Erosion (Yeosu and MFF Projects)

6. EAS Knowledge Base