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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Build a global network of Blue Carbon Knowledge Nodes for Science and Policy

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    Description
    Description
    In the next 5 years, the Blue Carbon Initiative, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and our partners will build a global network of regional nodes for blue carbon data and knowledge exchange. This Network will establish an international community of research scientists and practitioners to effectively leverage coastal wetland carbon science for purposes ranging widely from basic research to policy development to management.

    Coastal wetlands are increasingly recognized by policy, coastal management, carbon markets and related mechanisms for their importance in biological carbon sequestration and storage. These communities are aware that coastal wetland carbon stocks are highly exposed to human disturbance; that nearly a quarter of the worlds population lives within 100 km of the coast, a figure that is likely to increase to 50% by 2030; and that human activity in coastal wetlands emits CO2 equivalent to 3-19% of those from deforestation globally, resulting in economic damages of $US 6-42 billion. Our commitment recognizes that current and future efforts related to the science, policy and management of coastal wetlands for carbon-based benefits are limited by access to comprehensive, comparable, and quality controlled data, and by tools that allow data to be shared, synthesized, and modeled. There is currently no such globally accessible resource that meets this need, resulting in duplication of effort and isolated nodes of practitioners. Implementing science-based management of coastal wetland systems requires high-quality data that yields new insights on carbon cycle processes and supports the development, testing and validation of conceptual or predictive models; our commitment directly addresses this need.

    Therefore the goals of the Network will be to:

    1. Create a global network of Blue Carbon knowledge nodes that host quality controlled data on carbon characteristic of mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes
    2. Support a global network of scientists
    3. Accelerate learning across regions and globally
    4. Support the integration of blue carbon into local to national to international ocean and climate policy and management globally, including accelerating conservation and restoration of these ecosystems
    Partners
    Blue Carbon Initiative, Blue Carbon Science Network, Conservation International, IUCN, IOC-UNESCO, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (a unit of the Smithsonian Institution)

    Goal 13

    Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

    Goal 13

    13.1

    Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

    13.1.1

    Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

    13.1.2

    Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

    13.1.3

    Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

    13.2

    Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

    13.2.1

    Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    13.2.2

    Total greenhouse gas emissions per year

    13.3

    Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

    13.3.1

    Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

    13.a

    Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible

    13.a.1

    Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025

    13.b

    Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities


     

    13.b.1

    Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    Goal 14

    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

    Goal 14

    14.1

    By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

    14.1.1

    (a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density

    14.2

    By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans

    14.2.1

    Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas

    14.3

    Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels

    14.3.1
    Average marine acidity (pH) measured at agreed suite of representative sampling stations

    14.4

    By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics

    14.4.1
    Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

    14.5

    By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information

    14.5.1
    Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas

    14.6

    By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation

    14.6.1

    Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

    14.7

    By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

    14.7.1

    Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries

    14.a

    Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries

    14.a.1
    Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology

    14.b

    Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets

    14.b.1

    Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries

    14.c

    Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"

    14.c.1

    Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources

    Name Description
    14.3 Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
    14.a Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
    Workshops to socialize and get feedback on the data sharing system, build capacity, and develop tools/models to assist in science based decision making
    Develop a platform for collecting and sharing data
    Develop web based data analysis tools
    Establish regional nodes
    Financing (in USD)
    499982
    In-kind contribution
    Smithsonian Environmental Research Center staff time and expertise
    In-kind contribution
    Blue Carbon Initiative Scientific Working Group time and expertise
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
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    Timeline
    01 May 2017 (start date)
    01 April 2022 (date of completion)
    Entity
    The Blue Carbon Initiative
    SDGs
    Geographical coverage
    Arlington, USA
    Ocean Basins
    Global
    Communities of Ocean Action
    Ocean acidification, Scientific knowledge, research capacity development and transfer of marine technology, Mangroves
    Website/More information
    N/A
    Countries
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    Contact Information

    Jennifer Howard, Director, Oceans and Climate