THE ROLE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVIES
IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN
THE CONTEXT OF COASTAL
DEVELOPING STATES IN SUBSAHARAN AFRICA
Magnus A.K. Ngoile,
National Environment Management Council, TANZANIA
APRESENATION MADE DURING THE HIGH LEVEL
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ORGANISED BY ECOSOC, UN HQ,
NEW YORK, 2ND JULY, 2008
QUOTES

“… simply to tell those at the margin of existence not to
cut down the forest [not to catch fish] or not to have many
children, when they see both as necessary for their
survival, is not only insensitive to their predicament, but
downright provocative. We can only ask people to help
rescue the planet if we link the Earth’s salvation to their
own.”- Sir Shridath Ramphal

“The real world, however, consists of open, far – from –
equilibrium thermodynamic systems that can not be
enclosed in glass test tubes or within laboratory walls.
They [The systems] are also much influenced by
economic and political considerations that are rarely
included in the scientists’ model” E. Odum
THE PLIGHT OF SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICA
Can sub-Saharan Africa
meet the needs of its
coastal citizens while
conserving ecosystems
within the framework of
sustainable development
THE REALITY

Fisherman in coastal developing countries – all what
they have is children nets/boats and the sea. How can
they contribute towards the Payment for Ecosystem
Services (PES)
THE REALITY: TYPICAL HOUSING OF A
FISHING VILLAGE
THE REALITY:
EQUATING
ARTISANAL FISHING
WITH INDUSTRIAL
FISHING
THE MAGNITUDE OF MANAGEMENT
RESPONSIBILITY
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32 coastal states: 22 on the west coast, 10
on the east coast and South Africa shared
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A coastline stretching more than 27,415km.
 Shelf area to 200m depth contour 1,065,000km2
 The area covered by EEZ 10,811,000km2

Economic indicators (1990s)


Inflation rate 35% (Gambia) to -0.8%
(Cameroon)
External debt up to 11.7 billion (Angola)
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
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Fisheries
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Coastal
Distant water fishing fleet
Coastal forests
Coastal Agriculture
Oil and gas
Non fuel minerals
Water resources
Water ways – shipping
Tourism
Protection – against erosion and pollution
CONCERNS
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Many species of fish, marine mammals, turtles and other
marine life are threatened
Increasing coastal population
About 80 percent of all marine pollution is land-based
Alteration of physical habitats by people
Free access to coastal and marine resources
Multiple use conflicts
Decreased availability of fresh water
Of the 7.8 million tones of fish estimated to be potential
in Sub-Saharan coastal waters only 3.7 million tones are
harvested by the African coastal states the rest is being
harvested by distant water fishing fleet
CHALLENGE

In order to realize and sustain the benefits and
development opportunities provided by coastal
systems, the true value of the goods and
services need to be recognized and
appreciated.
 Estimating the monetary value of the benefits
provided by coastal and marine ecosystems is
a very complex process.
 As a consequence policymakers, users and the
general public are ill informed and do not
appreciate the true value of the coastal
resources leading to the overexploitation and
degradation of the resources
SOLUTION
 There
is an urgent need for developing
innovative approaches that will provide the
true value of goods and services of
ecosystems so that they are recognized
and appreciated by all stakeholders
KEY QUESTIONS
What are the priorities and most
promising strategies for optimizing the
contributions that ecosystem services can
make to achieve the MDG on poverty and
hunger?
 What kind of payment structure for
ecosystem services would be required to
ensure such an effect? How to apply these
structures at the global level?

WHERE DO WE START
1 -AFRICAN UNION
 Policy advocacy on the Payment for Ecosystem
Services and Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries
Management to be taken as an agenda by AU
 Include PES and EAF in the selection criteria for
granting projects under the Strategic Partnership
for a Sustainable Fisheries Investment Fund in
the Large Marine Ecosystems of Africa.
WHERE DO WE START:
2 - BYCATHC IN THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN
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The total annual purse-seine catch of yellowfin and
skipjack tunas by principal fishing nations in the WIO
during 1985-94 was 118,000-277,000 t.
Examples of Nonrecorded annual bycatch for this
period was estimated at:
 944-2270 t of pelagic oceanic sharks,
 720-1877 t of rainbow runners,
 705-1836 t of dolphinfishes,
 507-1322 t of triggerfishes,
 113-294 t of wahoo,
 104-251 t of billfishes,
More than 40 fish species and other marine animals
are caught as bycatch.
WHERE DO WE START:
IOTC/SWIOFC RESPONSE
 The
first step to solving the bycatch
problem is for the Indian Ocean Tuna
Commission to establish a programs for:

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Placing effective scientific observers on board
tuna purse-seine and longline vessels fishing
in the WIO in order to have a realistic estimate
of the volume of bycatch.
Conduct an economic valuation of the bycatch
and its optimization
Introduce PES in the tuna fishery in WIO
region and the SWIOFC to establish a
conservation fund which will receive the
payments
WHERE DO WE START
3 - AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL
 Societies must be allowed and in some
cases facilitated to se-up their own
vision on sustainable development.
These visions should be the foundation
block for national, regional and global
supportive action.
 The visions should balance between
societal need and ecosystem level
conservation.
WHERE DO WE START
3 - AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL –cont.
 ICM provides a framework for meaningful
dialogue and integration for enabling
effective local action
 Implement the EAF and PES within context
of ICM
 Invest in initiatives that put communities in
sustainable development path by utilizing
ecosystem services sustainably
3 - AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL:
 Response by national governments and
international organizations
 Efforts towards assisting coastal
communities in initiatives that set them
on the path for sustainable economic
growth under the framework of ICM
using EAF and PES
 Put in place sustainable financing
mechanisms that are supported by
national policies and legal instruments
as well as the support from international
organizations such as establishment of
conservation funds
INVESTIMENT INITIATIVES IN TANZANIA
 MARINE
LEGACY FUND
 EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS
CONSERVATION ENDOWMENT FUND
MARINE LEGACY FUND
 all
coastal districts
(Mainland and
Zanzibar),
 Potential
target
population:
8 million inhabitants.

223 000 km2 EEZ.
000 km2 territorial
seas.
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PURPOSE OF THE MLF

A mechanism for financial sustainability for the
Deep Sea Fishing Authority and for priority coastal
and marine management measures.
 The MFL is a revolving fund which is intended to
meet the core cost of managing the marine
resources and the marine ecosystem.
 The minimum capital of such a Marine Legacy
Fund is estimated to be of the order of US$75
million to provide an adequate buffer for the core
elements of the system, although it could
conceivably fluctuate from between US$35 and
US$150 million depending on year-to-year
circumstances.
MODALITY FOR SOURCING FUNDS
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The MLF will build and extend on existing smaller funds,
such as
 The National Fund for Protected Areas Management
established under the Zanzibar Environmental
Management for Sustainable Development Act of
1996;
 the Marine Parks and Reserves Development Fund
under the Marine Parks and Reserves Act of 1994.
 the existing revenue retention scheme for fisheries
both on the Mainland and Zanzibar.
 It will pull these funding mechanisms for marine resource
management together for conversion into one larger
cost-effective and sustainable financing mechanism.
EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS
CONSERVATION ENDOWMENT
FUND
THE EAMCEF
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The purpose of establishing the fund is to address
the need for a long term sustainable approach to
funding conservation of forest biodiversity in this
important ecosystem
 Mission is to “Catalyze resources to foster
conservation of forest biodiversity in the Eastern
Arc Mountains of Tanzania through investment in
sustainable community development, sustainable
financing for protected areas management and
financial support to applied research”
THANK YOU