Building resilience for adaptation to
climate change in the fisheries and
aquaculture sector: A global perspective
and FAO roadmap
Cassandra De Young
Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
FAO
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Outline
1. What is at stake?
2. What are the climate risks and vulnerabilities?
3. How can we respond?
- Adaptation measures at national and local scales
- Explore mitigation options
4. What is FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture
Department doing vis-à-vis climate change?
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
1. What is at stake?
 Over 500 million people depend – directly or
indirectly – on fisheries and aquaculture for
their livelihoods
 Aquatic foods provide essential nutrition for 4
billion people and at least 50% of animal
protein and minerals to 400 million people in
the poorest countries.
Fish products are among the most widelytraded foods, with more than 37% by volume
of world production traded internationally.
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
2. CC impacts on fisheries and aquaculture
Biophysical
changes from
global warming
Effects on:
Production
Ecology
Species composition
Production & yield
Distribution
Diseases
Coral bleaching
Calcification
Fishing &
Aquaculture
operations
Safety & efficiency
Infrastructure
Communities
Livelihoods
Loss/damage to assets
Risk to health & life
Displacement & conflict
Wider society &
Economy
Adaptation & mitigation costs
Market impacts
Water allocation
Ocean currents
ENSO
Sea level rise
Rainfall
River flows
Lake levels
Thermal structure
Storm Severity
Storm frequency
Acidification
Impacts on:
Badjeck et al, 2010
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Predicted effects on fisheries’ catch potential
Cheung et al. 2009
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Understanding Vulnerabilities: IPCC model
applied to FI&AQ
Adapted from FAO (2006)
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Understanding vulnerabilities: applied
fisheries example
Global mapping of national economies’ vulnerability to climate
change impacts on fisheries
Allison et al, 2009
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
3. What can be done?
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Preparing and responding to the impacts: adaptation to
climate change through broader vulnerability reduction
• Ecological, Economic and Social
Resilience
– implementation of ecosystem approach
to fisheries and aquaculture, the Code of
Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
– livelihood diversification, flexible access
rights, public and private insurance
• Technological innovation
• Planned adaptation –policy
coherence across sectors (water,
agriculture, forestry, CZM)
• Disaster preparedness and response
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Mitigation - Oceans, aquatic ecosystems
Removing emissions:
Carbon capture and storage (sea beds, phytoplankton, and blue
carbon) – BIG NUMBERS 93% carbon storage and 30% sequestration
Halt the disruption of carbon sequestration in aquatic ecosystems by,
e.g., habitat destruction
Implement mangroves and floodplain forests in REDD+ and develop
blue carbon funds
Avoiding or displacing emissions:
Renewable energy potential – tides, currents, waves, wind, hydropower,
aquatic biofuels
Reducing emissions:
Emissions reductions from aquatic food production systems and
maritime transport
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
4. FAO-FI &AQ activities on climate change
Building bridges between science
and policy
Understanding country
priorities and assisting
their implementation
through funding,
partnering and
technical support
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Supporting coordinated action: the Global
Partnership on Climate, Fisheries and
Aquaculture (PaCFA)
http://www.climatefish.org
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Assisting countries understand CC implications
and participate in CC discussions
Latin and South America (2011)
Vietnam (2012)
Lake Chad Basin (2011)
Pacific SIDS (2012)
Benguela Current (2011)
Caribbean SIDS (2012)
Synthesis and analysis (2012)
Vulnerability and
adaptation analyses,
workshops, awareness
raising, defining
priorities
Enhancing adaptation
capacity
Expert Workshop on vulnerability
modeling (2012)
Global Workshop on guidance (2013)
Development of guidance
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Communicating & Informing
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Advocating for inclusion
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Climate Change Priorities – FI&AQ 2011-2016 Strategy
Climate change partnerships to support cooperation and
to develop policy and management initiatives
Knowledge base for policy development and to raise
awareness of the importance of the sector, CC
implications and vulnerabilities, science policy bridge
Mitigation actions for sector at the global, regional and
national levels; GHG emissions and mitigation potentials.
Climate change adaptation strategies within sector
development frameworks at the global, regional and
national levels
Lesson-learning and capacity-building processes with
partners through specific tools, such as strategies and
best practices.
Communication strategy for a range of audiences and
develop a coordinated approach to global planning and
feedback.
Resources to support prioritized actions
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia
Thank you!
cassandra.deyoung@fao.org
Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:
reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
5-8 June 2012
Noumea, New Caledonia