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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Building International Capacity to Monitor, Understand, and Act on Ocean Acidification

(
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
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#OceanAction40857
    Description
    Description
    The Ocean Foundation commits to building international capacity to address ocean acidification through four types of actions: monitoring, analyzing, engaging and acting.

    Monitor:
    Observing how, where, and how quickly is change occurring
    Ocean acidification is causing rapid changes in chemistry, and these changes are not consistent across the globe. The first step to fighting ocean acidification is to monitor our waters so that we can better understand how, where, and how quickly the change is occurring. We have tools to monitor both the chemistry such as the change in pH and the biology like the change in algae distribution. Right now, entire regions of the ocean have limited or no capacity for such monitoring. The Ocean Foundation will work to increase monitoring capacity by providing training workshops for early career scientists, deploying tailored kits that enable monitoring efforts, and by supporting the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (the GOA-ON).

    Analyze:
    Studying how are we being affected now, and how will we be affected in the future
    Once we have data, we identify patterns and conduct experiments informed by real world conditions. With enough experimental data, we produce models that help us predict future scenarios so that we know where, how, and when to act. The Ocean Foundation will support training on how to design experiments that help us better understand how ocean acidification might affect economically, ecologically, and culturally valuable species, and the communities that depend on them, and the building of models and forecasting systems that give us predictive abilities and the power to adapt.

    Engage:
    Building partnerships and coalitions with stakeholders
    Armed with data and a scientific understanding of the threat, we engage stakeholders with a compelling story of what ocean acidification could mean to them. We work with fishers, shellfish farmers, and others in coastal communities to interpret how the changes will affect them, and we work with policy makers to demonstrate how their constituents and the economies of their districts might be affected. The Ocean Foundation will work with community groups and legislatures across the world to help bring attention to ocean acidification and its potential impacts.

    Act:
    Enacting legislation that mitigates ocean acidification and helps communities adapt
    By building a coalition of stakeholders stakeholders who are armed with strong science we have the power to act. The Ocean Foundation will work with legislatures around the world to craft legal language that addresses ocean acidification from the local level to the international level. We develop legislation that both helps mitigate ocean acidification through reduction of CO2 pollution or blue carbon restoration, including plantings of seagrass, mangroves and salt marsh grasses and adapt to ocean acidification through programs that provide the tools and resources needed by those industries being affected now, such as early warning systems and tools for reducing mortality at hatcheries.

    The Ocean Foundation will work with international and regional partners to support these actions and effect change through five program areas:
    Capacity Building
    Delivering Technology
    Mentorship
    Global Policy Advisory Center
    Blue Carbon Mitigation
    Partners
    The Ocean Foundation, Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON - Scientific Community), Heising-Simons Foundation (Philanthropic), X-PRIZE Foundation (Philanthropic), International Atomic Energy Associations International Coordination Centre for Ocean Acidification (IAEA OA-ICC - United Nations Entitity), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP - Intergovernmental Organization)

    Goal 2

    End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

    Goal 2

    2.1

    By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

    2.1.1

    Prevalence of undernourishment

    2.1.2

    Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)

    2.2

    By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

    2.2.1

    Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age

    2.2.2

    Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)

    2.2.3

    Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)

    2.3

    By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment
    2.3.1

    Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size

    2.3.2

    Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status

    2.4

    By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

    2.4.1

    Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture

    2.5

    By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed

    2.5.1

    Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities

    2.5.2

    Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction

    2.a

    Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries
    2.a.1

    The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures

    2.a.2

    Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector

    2.b

    Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round

    2.b.1

    Agricultural export subsidies

    2.c

    Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility

    2.c.1

    Indicator of food price anomalies

    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
    Capacity Building through the training of 120 scientists in ocean acidification monitoring techniques through the six regional training workshops (two in South America, one in the Arctic, one in the Caribbean, one in Africa and one in the Pacific Islands). Scientists who receive training will be eligible to receive all equipment and materials needed to collect high quality ocean chemistry data.
    Increased monitoring capabilities through the development and delivery of 12
    Increased international collaboration and research through support for the Pier-2-Peer mentorship program, regional convening calls, five, 4-week internships for junior level scientists per year and travel stipends for six scientists per year, for a total of 12 internships and 18 travel opportunities
    Increased global policy and mitigation efforts through international and domestic stakeholder engagement, communication to policy makers, support for drafting legislation, including one policy convening meeting per year, five international policy stakeholder trips and five domestic stakeholder trips, for a total of three policy convenings, 15 international policy stakeholder trips, and 15 domestic policy stakeholder trips.
    Financing (in USD)
    675667
    Staff / Technical expertise
    GOA-ON
    Staff / Technical expertise
    IAEA OA-ICC
    Staff / Technical expertise
    University of Gotenburg, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, SPREP
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
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    Timeline
    01 April 2016 (start date)
    01 December 2020 (date of completion)
    Entity
    The Ocean Foundation
    SDGs
    Geographical coverage
    Washington, DC
    Other beneficiaries
    Arctic region
    Ocean Basins
    Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean, South Atlantic, South Pacific
    Communities of Ocean Action
    Ocean acidification, Scientific knowledge, research capacity development and transfer of marine technology, Mangroves
    Countries
    N/A
    Contact Information

    Mark J. Spalding, President