Caring for Coasts Initiative
Coastal ecosystems provide some of the highest ecosystem service values of all biome types, with
the global and local water cycles strongly dependent on wetlandsi. Coastal habitats deliver multiple
ecosystem services supporting water security, as well as: providing disaster risk reduction from
storm and tsunami impacts; sustaining commercial and local fisheries stocks; supporting human
health, recreation and livelihoods; being invaluable in supporting climate change mitigation and
adaption; and providing habitat for biodiversity. The estimated value of ecosystem services from
mangroves and tidal marshes alone is between US$1,995 and $215,349/ha/yri.
Rationale and background
However, despite the great many benefits that arise from the conservation and sustainable use of
coastal wetlands, they continue to be degraded and destroyed at a rapid pace. The Review of Global
Assessments of Land and Ecosystem Degradation and their Relevance in Achieving the Land-based
Aichi Biodiversity Targetsii commissioned by the CBD Secretariat states that half of all global
wetlands have been converted, and highlights wetlands as the most degraded ecosystem among the
six assessed. In addition, there is a significant global shortfall in establishment of protected areas
covering marine ecosystems including coastal intertidal areas.
While efforts to prevent habitat decline remain of major importance, the restoration of degraded
ecosystems will play an increasingly important role because of the scale and rate of loss already
experienced. CBD Parties have committed to restore habitats under Aichi Targets 14 and 15 of the
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Actions needed to meet these commitments were agreed
at CBD Decision XI/16iii.
Additionally, the Bonn Challenge (Germany, 2011) aims to restore 150 million hectares of lost forests
and degraded lands worldwide by 2020, and the Hyderabad Call for a Concerted Effort on Ecosystem
Restoration (CBD COP11, India, 2012), made by concerned stakeholdersiv, invites coordinated longterm efforts to mobilize resources and facilitate ecosystem restoration activities for the benefit of
all. Maintaining and restoring wetlands also appears more cost effective than equivalent man-made
infrastructurei.
However, restoration efforts under CBD so far seem to be focused primarily on forests despite the
pressures on coastal wetlands being as strong, or stronger, than those on forest ecosystems. The
Caring for Coasts Initiative will provide the stimulus for collective action to facilitate the restoration
of these critically important but often neglected areas.
As a result of their interest in coastal restoration, CBD COP12 invited Parties to give due attention to
the conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands, and, in this context, to consider options to
build a Caring for Coasts Initiative as part of a global movement to restore coastal wetlands.
Goal of the Initiative
The vision of the Caring for Coasts Initiative is that global coastal wetlands are protected and
restored for the benefits they bring in disaster risk reduction, maintaining local livelihood,
biodiversity conservation, climate change resilience, blue carbon source, and overall sustainable
development.
It is envisaged that the emerging Caring for Coasts Initiative will have three main components:
1. Document and share case studies and lessons learned and develop best-practice guidelines for
coastal wetland restoration and recovery.
2. Provide technical support to Partners and make available tools and methods for use by local
and national decision makers in assessing costs and benefits of different coastal wetland
restoration options in relation to local sustainable development of coastal wetlands, including
identifying and assessing coastal wetland ecosystems services such as for natural solutions for
disaster risk reduction and livelihoods.
3. National-led identification of priority coastal wetland areas for protection and for undertaking
restoration.
Implementing the Initiative
The Caring for Coasts Initiative will have shared ownership by interested Parties and supporting
partners. Countries should identify a focal point representative of the ministries with
responsibility for coastal zone management to advance this initiative after CBD COP12, including
further development of the concept, developing an action plan for the Initiative and establishing a
global steering committee. Interested Parties would identify and prepare a program of work to meet
the Caring for Coast objectives, with the planning phase to be completed by mid-2015, and the first
products of the Initiative launched at CBD COP13 (2016). Further, countries might choose to become
regional or global champions to develop and encourage the work of this Initiative.
Interested Parties are invited to prioritize actions that contribute to this Initiative for funding by
existing financial institutions and mechanisms, and could choose to support the Initiative further by
making a financial pledge to support the common issues of the Initiative.
Support for the Initiative
This Initiative is supported by BirdLife International, the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and the East
Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), who can provide technical and scientific advice,
awareness raising and any other relevant and appropriate activities for the implementation of this
Initiative. We encourage CBD Parties and other interested partners to take up this Initiative for the
benefit of all.
Contact details for more information
Becky Rush, BirdLife International, becky.rush@birdlife.org
Carolina Hazin, BirdLife International, Carolina.hazin@birdlife.org
Chris Briggs, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, briggs@ramsar.org
Spike Millington, EAAFP, chief@eaaflyway.org
i
Russi, D., P. ten Brink, A. Farmer, T. Badura, D. Coates, J. Forster, R. Kumar and N. Davidson (2013). The economics of ecosystems and
biodiversity for water and wetlands, IEEP, London & Brussels; Ramsar Secretariat, Gland.
ii Caspari, T., Alexander, S., ten Brink, B., Laestadius, L. (2014) Review of Global Assessments of Land and Ecosystem Degradation and their
Relevance in Achieving the Land-based Aichi Biodiversity Targets: A technical report prepared for the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (SCBD). Draft document prepared for Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Twelfth
meeting, UNEP/CBD/COP/12/INF/18.
iii Inviting Parties, other relevant organizations and the Executive Secretary to undertake activities to support countries in implementing
ecosystem restoration, including providing capacity-building in the form of workshops; compilation of information, including through a
website; further development, as necessary, of tools and guidance; clarification of terms and definitions; and pursuing opportunities for
collaboration. In the same decision, the COP also recognized the need for funding for these activities and called upon donors and others
accordingly.
iv Governments of India, the Republic of Korea and South Africa, SCBD, UNCCD, UNFCCC, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, GEF, UNEP,
UNDP, UNFF, FAO, IUCN, and SER.