THEMATIC SLIDES
COASTAL AREAS
COASTAL AREAS
• Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia
• Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador
• Isahaya Bay, Japan
• Huang He Delta, China
• Knife River Delta, Canada
• Thonburi,
• Ijsselmeer, Netherlands
Thailand
• Sundarban, India/Bangladesh
Coast of Spain, Credit: Digital Globe
COASTAL FACTS
• The oceans cover 70 per cent of the planet’s surface area and marine and
coastal environments contain diverse habitats that support an abundance of
marine life; coastal zones account for 20 per cent of the world’s land area
• Coral reef ecosystems are increasingly being degraded and destroyed
worldwide by
a variety
human
activities
and
by global
warming
The
oceans of
cover
70 percent
of the
planet’s
surface
area and
• Global harvests for marine fisheries have been above 80 million tonnes
per year since the latter half of the 1980s, with peak of 87 million tonnes in
1997 and 2000
• Mangroves extend over 18 million hectares (44 million acres) worldwide,
covering a quarter of the world’s tropical coastlines
UNEP-CBD 2005; GEO Year Book 2006; UNEP 2005
Shrimp farms replacing mangroves in
Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras
1987-1999: shrimp farms
and ponds have
mushroomed, carpeting
the landscape around the
Gulf of Fonseca, in
blocks of blue and black
shapes
Loss of Mangrove in Ecuador’s largest
seaport - Gulf of Guayaquil
1985-2000: Loss of
mangrove;
aquaculture grew 30
percent in a 15-year
period
Dramatic changes in
Huang He Delta, China
Images show the
mouth of the Yellow
River and the
emergence of a huge
parrot-headed
peninsula
• 1979-2000: Huang
He’s yellow color is
the result of huge
loads of sediments
Changes in Huang He Delta, China
• From 1989 to 1995
the Yellow River delta
area grew
• From 1995 to 2000
the Yellow River delta
area shrank
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
Replacement of mangroves by aquaculture
in Thon Buri, Thailand
• 1973-1978: Area is
caught in the battle
between needs of people
versus the welfare of the
coastal areas
• 2002: Shows extensive
aquaculture ponds (blue
patches inland)
Sundarban: Largest mangrove forest
of the world, India/Bangladesh
Forest degradation has
been occurring in
many parts of
Sundarbans
Shrimp farming is a
major threat to
mangrove forests
Impact of flooding in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia
These images show the
extent of flooding and
extensive ditches and
canals used for irrigation
• 2000: Taken during the
period of flooding
• 2001: Taken after the
flood waters had receded
Land reclamation changes along
Isahaya Bay, Japan
• 1993: Turning tidal
lands into farmlands
• 2001: The straight line
of the sea wall is visible
• 2003: The area has
been fully reclaimed
from the sea
Coastal vegetation change along
Knife River Delta, Canada
• 1973: Impact of
snow geese on
coastal vegetation
• 1996: Overgrazing
has turned the
shoreline into an
enormous mudflat
Transformation of Ijsselmeer
The Netherlands
These images show the
transformation of polders
(areas of reclaimed land)
into useable farming land
• 1973-2004: lighter blue
water is the Markermeer –
buffer against floodwaters
• 2004: this area of
reclaimed land was
covered with farms
COASTAL AREAS
One Planet Many People:
Atlas of Our Changing Environment
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