WEBINAR: Governing Coastal Resources - Implications for a Sustainable Blue Economy

DATE: Wednesday 23rd June 2021

TIME: 2:00pm - 3:00pm CEST

On June 23th 2021, join us for the launch of the UNEP/International Resource Panel assessment report Governing Coastal Resources: Implications for a Sustainable Blue Economy and discuss the challenges and opportunities for our oceans and coasts. In the report's launch webinar, speakers will discuss findings of the report, present the evidence base about the impacts of land-based activities to coastal resources, make a call for a new governance approach where land- and sea-based activities are considered, and share the views of different countries on what this research means to them and highlight the role of governments.

Background

The future of our world’s ocean is at risk, and so is the critical role it plays in supporting life on Earth and human well-being, as well as regulating the climate.

The ocean provides oxygen, food, energy, water and raw materials. It offers remarkable cultural services and is a source of jobs and economic activity across our planet. Despite its importance, there is a continuous degradation of the ocean mainly due to pollution and acidification.

Land-based human activities contribute an important share on impacts to the marine environment. For example roughly 80 per cent of the marine and coastal pollution originates on land; still, there are very few, if any, truly effective governance mechanisms that take account of land-ocean interactions.

Without a healthy ocean all the services it provides will be disrupted and the consequences will be dire. Careful management of our oceans is crucial and it is now the time to take action.

The report (available after 23rd June) highlights that while coastal resources such as fish, minerals, and energy are critical for the Sustainable Blue Economy, which accounts for 5% of the global GDP, they are threatened by a wide range of land-based human activities. For example roughly 80% of the marine and coastal pollution originates on land. However, there are very few, if any, truly effective governance mechanisms that take account of land-ocean interactions.

The new study draws together an evidence base that demonstrates the need for enhanced governance coordination between terrestrial activities and marine resources. It provides policy makers with concrete options for strengthening the existing land-sea governance structures and calls for an urgent shift towards a new governance approach.

Speakers

• Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean

• Dr. Steve Fletcher, Panel member, report's lead author, and Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy at the University of Portsmouth 

• Ms. Marianne Gjørv, Senior Adviser, Norwegian Environment Agency

• Ms. Leticia Carvalho, Head of Marine and Freshwater Branch, UNEP (Opening remarks)

• Ms. Merlyn Van Voore, Head of the IRP Secretariat, UNEP (Moderator)

• Dr. Yonglong Lu, IRP Panel member, report co-author and Professor at the Xiamen University and Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Speaker for the Q&A session)

• Dr. Porfirio Alvarez, IRP Panel member, report co-author and Executive Secretary for the Consortium of Marine Research Institutions of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean (Speaker for the Q&A session)

• Dr. Chris McOwen, Report's co-author, Lead Marine Scientist at UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (Speaker for the Q&A session)

Register here