5th Global Conference on Oceans,
Coasts, and Islands
GEF CONTRIBUTION to HEALTHY
OCEANS - ADAPTATION to
CLIMATE CHANGE &
BLUE FORESTS CONSERVATION
UNESCO, Paris
May, 2010
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MANGROVES
EMPOWER PEOPLE
CC
ACCESS to RESOURCES
CONSERVATION
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Role of Oceans
 Coastal/Marine Ecosystems provide nutrition for about 3
billion people, & 50% of animal protein & minerals to 400
million people in LDCs
 $70 billion in annual international trade of marine
fisheries products stem from the oceans
 Coastal ecosystems filter water; reduce effects of coastal
pollution, nutrient loading & sedimentation; and buffer impacts
of extreme weather and erosion
 Half the carbon emitted, which is sequestered by nature,
can be attributed to marine ecosystems, and Earth’s
temperature is regulated by these ecosystems
 The marine environment is under significant & increasing
stress – e.g. from the impact of extractive industries, pollution,
overfishing, & elevated carbon dioxide levels resulting in
ocean acidification. These stresses curtail the efficiency of
oceans role as climate moderator and provider of essential
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services
Intensification of TRENDS
 Higher Temperature
 Higher Acidity
 Rising Coastal Populations
 Rising Coastal Industries
 Increased Pollution from terrestrial and marine activities
 Overfishing
CONSEQUENCES
 Rising Sea Levels
 Diminished Effectiveness in Regulating Earth’s
Climate leading to increased frequency & intensity of
coastal floods, hurricanes, typhoon, tsunamis
 Reduction in Marine BD & Productivity (e.g.
ecosystem services) and Shifts in Distribution of
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Species
GEF Watershed, Coastal, and
Marine Portfolio up to GEF-4
 BD Funding : ~$ 1.1 Billion
 Co-Financing : ~$ 4.6 Billion
 IW Funding: ~$ 1.1 Billion
 Co-Financing : ~$ 4.8 Billion
 Adaptation to CC: ~$400 M
 Co-Financing : ~$400 M
 Total GEF Funding: $2.6 B ~ 1/3 of GEF Portfolio
to Protect Healthy Oceans & their Blue Forests
 During GEF-4: 75% increase towards
conservation & sustainable use of coastal,
marine & freshwater ecosystems, compared to
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first 3 phases of the GEF.
Results of Countries
& GEF/Agencies
 182 IW Projects with 172 Collaborating
Countries
 15 Transboundary River Basins
 4 Transboundary Lake Basins
 19 LMEs - 1/2 of DC & 142 supporting BD
projects
 More than 250 Protected Areas
 4 Groundwater Basins
 Multi-Focal Programs: PAS-SIDS (inc.
Micronesia Challenge), CTI, Caribbean
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Challenge
GEF-5:Marine Programs Addressing the
Gaps & Challenges of Oceans/Blue
Forests Conservation & Climate Change
 Maximize the Use of GEF Resources & Co-Financing to
Countries to create multiple environmental benefits
 Multi-Focal Areas –to Integrate BD, IW, CC (Mitigate&
Adapt) and Persistent Organic Pollutants – CTI, PAS
 Country-Led, Regional Programmatic Approaches
 All programs/ projects to incorporate climatic variability
and change, community scale results, gender
integration, and experience-sharing/ learning
 Coastal LME projects to incorporate ICM & consider sea
level rise/flooding/reefs/fisheries/ blue forests/Carbon
(mangroves, kelp, seagrass, marshes)
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Continue…
Focus on Large-Scale Ecosystem Management
• Action Both at the Country and Transboundary
Levels
• Better Feeding and Breeding Grounds for
Fisheries
• Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Fisheries
Practices in and outside MPAs
Catalyze multi-state cooperation to rebuild
marine fisheries and reduce pollution of coasts
and Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs)
Promote effective management of Marine
Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)
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directed at preventing fisheries depletion
Responses
1. Increased Representation of Coastal &
Marine Protected Areas
 Networks of Coastal and Marine Protected
Areas:
1.Effective for Preserving Marine Biodiversity
2.Hedging Against Ecological Disasters
3.Enhancing Long-Term Fisheries Management
4.Potential to Combat the Effects of Global
Climate Change
2.Maintaining the Structural Integrity of
Large-Scale Marine Ecosystems
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3.Sustainable CZM Plans
4.Advancing Management of Ecosystems &
Integrated Coastal & Oceans in the Context of
Climate Change
 Ocean Management + Science are Key
Elements of a National CC Strategy
 Some Adaptation Occurring Now – but on a
Limited Basis
 Integrate a Portfolio of Adaptation and Mitigation
Measures to Curtail Risks Associated with CC
 Scaling Up is Far from Easy
 Challenge:
1. Increase the Number and Impact of Marine
Adaptation Projects
2. Increase Mitigation Measures, curtailing
sources of Disequilibrium
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3. Integrate Adaptation and Mitigation Measures
5. Get the Science Right & Economic Valuation of
Coastal/ Marine Ecosystems
 Make the Business Case for the conservation
of coastal/marine ecosystems measured against
unsustainable conversion or extinction of coastal
ecosystems
 Assign Monetary Value to the services
provided by costal ecosystems : e.g. watershed
protection; carbon sequestration; BD, water, food
supply; etc.
 Carbon Sequestration:
1. Develop, & reach scientific consensus on,
carbon accounting methodology to underpin further
action
2. Develop Financing Mechanisms for blue carbon
credits, trading, & offsets systems- including
exploring potential use of a performance-based 11
REDD+ mechanism
GEF International Waters Ecosystem-Based
Approach
to Management of LMEs at Multiple Scales
Across LMEs in Asia Region - Alternatives to
Shrimp Trawling-FAO or Oceanic
Fisheries/Tunas UNDP/FFA/WCPFC
Large Marine Ecosystem Scale
South China Sea LME-UNEP
Coastal Municipality/Provincial ICM Scale
Da Nang, Vietnam - UNDP PEMSEA
River Basin Linkage Scale
GPA Mekong River Basin/delta - World Bank
Local Community-based Demo Sites
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Phu Quoc Fish Refugia Vietnam- UNEP
C
Blue Forests: Mangroves
One of the most unique ecosystems on Earth as
they thrive where no other trees can survive – the
transition between the ocean and the land & the
most visible blue forests
Healthy Mangroves
Buffer zone between ocean & land – coastal
protection
Shelter & food source for aquatic & terrestrial
organisms
Carbon Sinks : Indications are that these habitats
sequester more carbon on a unit basis than
rainforests and can contribute to climate change
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mitigation
Continue...
CTI - 60,000 km2 of coastal area estimated to
support carbon burial of ~8.3 million tons of CO2
annually (Spalding et al. 2001),
Columbia - More than 2,000 sq km of significant
corals, mangroves and sea grass beds legally
protected within a system of 4 large MPAs
India – More than 3,401 sq km of mangroves
Indonesia: facilitate Protection of 2,085 ha of
mangrove forest in the Cobanos area.
South China Sea & Guinea Current LMEs
Future: Scale-up Coastal Protection of SE
Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Timor-Leste,
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Vietnam) and Africa.
GEF Adaptation Strategy

Goal: Support developing countries to
increase resilience to climate change
through implementation of adaptation
measures in development policies,
plans, programs, projects and actions
Objectives: Reduce vulnerability and
increase adaptive capacity
 Impact: Reduce absolute losses due
to climate change, including variability
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GEF is involved in 3 Adaptation Fund
Mechanisms
UNFCCC Climate
Change Funds
Least Developed
Country Fund
(LDCF)
NAPA Preparation
& Implementation
Total: $190M
Kyoto Protocol
Adaptation Fund
Special Climate
Change Fund
(SCCF)
top priority to
adaptation
GEF provides
secretariat
services to the
Adaptation Fund
Board
Total: $120M
Estimate $80–300
million/year
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GEF Mediterranean Sustainable
Development Program
“Sustainable MED”
Build a better future for the Mediterranean
communities with a focus on sustainable water
resources management - integrating economic
and environmental progress, including
protecting essential ecological services, and
curtailing global warming
Regional Project implemented by
UNEP/MAP: Integration of climatic
variability and change into national
strategies to implement the ICZM Protocol
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LDCF/SCCF Coastal Adaptation
 Bangladesh: Community Based Adaptation to
Climate Change through Coastal Afforestation
 Cambodia: Vulnerability Assessment and
Adaptation Program for Climate Change in the
Coastal Zone including livelihood improvement &
ecosystems
 Djibouti: Reducing Impacts and Vulnerability of
Coastal Productive Systems
 Egypt: Adaptation to Climate Change in the Nile
Delta through Integrated Coastal Zone
Management
 Guinea: Increased Resilience and Adaptation to
Adverse Impacts of Climate Change in Guinea's
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Vulnerable Coastal Zones
 Haiti: Strengthening adaptive capacities to
address climate change threats on
sustainable development strategies for
coastal communities
 Liberia: Enhancing Resilience of vulnerable
coastal areas to climate change risks
 Mexico: Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts
on the Coastal Wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico
through Improved Water Resource Management
 Tuvalu: Increasing Resilience of Coastal Areas
and Community Settlements to Climate Change
 Vietnam: Climate-resilient Infrastructure
Planning and Coastal Zone Development in
Vietnam
 Yemen: Integrated Coastal Zone Management
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in the Gulf of Aden
Adaptation to Climate Change in the
Nile Delta through Integrated Coastal
Zone Management
- SCCF/UNDP
 Objective: Integrate the management
of sea level rise risks into the
development of Egypt’s Low Elevation
Coastal Zone (LECZ) in the Nile Delta
 $17 M; $4 M SCCF & $13 M cofinancing
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Egypt Project Components
1. Regulatory Framework and Institutional
Capacity
→ Outcome: Capacity to improve resilience of
coastal settlements and development
infrastructure is strengthened
2. On the Ground Measures
→ Outcome: Innovative and environmentally
friendly adaptation measures enforced in the
framework of Nile Delta ICZM
3. Knowledge Management
→ Outcome: M&E framework and knowledge
management system in place
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www.adaptationlearning.net
Integrated Climate Change Adaptation in Samoa
LDCF/GEF amount:: $2 Million
CC Vulnerabilities:
 Sea Level Rise  loss of land and salt
intrusion into freshwater  loss of
livelihood
 Increased storm activity  flooding,
loss of life, crops and infrastructure
 Increasing frequencies of climate
related health problems
 Increasing intensity of both rainfall
and drought  loss of crops and
agricultural productivity↓
Adaptation Actions:
 Improvement of health sector
capacity
 Pilot measures on agriculture and
food security
 Improving and disseminating seasonal
forecasts
 Improvement of Early Warning
System↓
Outcomes:
 Decreased loss of life to tropical
disease
 Increased food and water security
 Decreased loss of life and livelihood
from climate disaster events
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Common Goal: Sustainability of
Marine Resources
Partners
Countries
•Political Will
•Enabling Conditions for
Sustainable PS Investment
•Clear, Transparent, Predictable
Investment Climate
Fishermen
Small-Scale Fisher Folks
Industrial Fisheries
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Coral Triangle Initiative
6 Governments
Management, Conservation, and Adaptation to Climate
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Change of the Coral Ecosystems and Fisheries
Private Sector – Driver of Changes
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Sustainable Fisheries
 The CTI region supports a multi-billion dollar
fisheries industry
 Tuna fisheries are under great pressure due to the
high demand for seafood
 There is scientific evidence that tuna fisheries
are close to the tipping point
 Action towards sustaining the tuna stocks and the
entire fishing value chain is needed now.
 This action can only be carried out in close
partnership with the local population and the
private sector – a driver of change
 Both governments and the private sector have a
central role in terms of managing fisheries
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sustainably
Continue…
 Creative PPPs should be developed to promote and
implement sustainable fisheries practices.
 Promotion of policies conducive to environmentallyfriendly fisheries activities can be valuable to many
companies.
 Actions also include temporary measures to allow for
recharge of the tuna stocks, certification, and seeking
alternative options such as well planned ocean farms
examples in New Zealand.
PPPs offer PS the opportunity to:
 Protect share value through mitigation of environmental
and related business risks such as access to capital, land
& sea, markets, reputation, security of supply, relations
with regulators, liabilities, and insurance premiums;
 Improve local and official acceptance of companies27 as
corporate citizens.
Strategic Partnership for Fisheries in Africa
African Union, GEF, World Bank, FAO, WWF
Investment Fund: Current and Planned Investments
WEST AFRICA:
(IDA $103.5 M)
(GEF $21 M)
Senegal ($24.5
M)
Guinea-Bissau
($8 M)
Cape Verde ($8
M)
Sierra Leone
($20 M)
Liberia
($12 M)
Reverse Depletion of Fsheries in Africa
LME
KENYA:
(IDA $30 M)
(GEF $5 M)
TANZANIA:
(IDA $52 M)
(GEF $5 M)
Ghana ($52 M)
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Thank You
www.thegef.org
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