it all ends up in our water: saving our coastal and freshwaters from land and air wastes (iwc6...
DESCRIPTION
Presentation delivered by Thomas Hammond during the GEF STAP session during the 6th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference in 2011 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.TRANSCRIPT
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment Facility
IT ALL ENDS UP IN OUR WATER: SAVING OUR COASTAL AND FRESHWATERS FROM
LAND AND AIR WASTES
Thomas Hammond
STAP Secretary
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
What is STAP?
The Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) provides strategic and independent advice on projects, programs, and policies.
STAP is administered by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and it is supported by a Secretariat based in Washington, D.C.
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
CBD
UNFCC
CCD
InternationalWaters
CEO / CHAIRMAN
GEF SECRETARIAT
COUNCIL
ASSEMBLY
W.B.
DonorReplenishmentGroup
GEFEO
ADB
UNIDO
FAO
NGOS
MultilateralFund ofMontrealProtocol
STAP
POPS
IAs / EAs
UNEP
EBRD
IFAD
IDB
Af DB
UNDP
1/04
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
Who is STAP?
Present composition – July 2011 to June 2012
Thomas E. Lovejoy, ChairMeryl J. Williams
Co-Chair , IWN.H. RavindranathClimate Change
Sandra Diaz Biodiversity
Henk BouwmanChemicals & POPs
Nteranya SangingaLand Degradation
Michael Stocking Special Advisor
to the Chair
http://www.unep.org/stap/
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
What STAP is doing?
Operational
AdviceStrategic Advice
Policy Advice
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
Recent Advisory Products
http://www.unep.org/stap/
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
Hypoxia and Nutrient Reduction in the Coastal Zone: STAP’s Advisory Document
• Rapid economic development and population growth put enormous environmental pressures on coastal ecosystems resulting in the rising influx of nutrients that led to the exponential rise in the number of coastal low oxygen or hypoxic areas globally
• STAP was tasked by the GEF to review the current knowledge of coastal hypoxia, and to develop recommendations on how to prevent and remediate the growing threats of coastal hypoxia to the global environmental benefits and GEF investments
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
Hypoxia and Nutrient Reduction in the Coastal Zone: STAP’s Advisory Document
Document provides:
(i) An overview of the scientific evidence for the causes, impacts and remediation for coastal hypoxia
(ii) Advice on measurements and monitoring of hypoxia
(iii) A review of GEF’s experiences in 17 Large Marine Ecosystems
(iv) A short guide to existing hypoxia and nutrient reduction tools/guidelines
(v) A set of recommendations for key GEF stakeholders
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
Hypoxia and Nutrient Reduction in the Coastal Zone: STAP’s Advisory Document
• Experience, including through GEF investments, shows that hypoxia remediation is possible, but realistic management times, of the order of 10-30 years are needed for hypoxia recovery
• Eastern and Southern Asia will potentially experience the largest increase in the number of hypoxic areas
• Smaller systems with existing hypoxic conditions are more amenable to hypoxia remediation than larger systems, and thus could serve as successful test models for GEF support
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
What actions can the GEF take to prevent and remediate coastal hypoxia?
STAP document lists a number of specific additional recommendations: (i) Develop a Hypoxia Toolkit that integrates hypoxia-related factors into the project screening process; (ii) Update TDA/SAP guidance materials ; (iii) Establish evidence-based monitoring, prevention and remediation programs in existing LMEs; (iv) Address knowledge gaps through targeted research projects
Hypoxia is a multi-focal area challenge. The GEF and its development partners should consider increasing their investment in nutrient reduction projects and establish principles for supporting priority ecosystems in which to test management responses to permanent and seasonal hypoxia
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
Hypoxia and Nutrient Reduction in the Coastal Zone: What’s next?
Reduction of nutrient pollution from local sources can significantly improve the environmental status of coastal areas and reduce the incidence, intensity, size and duration of hypoxia
STAP is considering further steps in helping GEF partners to address increasing fluxes of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to the coastal ocean. This side event aims at starting the dialogue by answering the question:
WHAT GEF/GEF LME PROJECTS CAN DO TO ADVANCE THE GLOBAL POLICY AGENDA AND HELP TO REDUCE NUTRIENTS LOADING INTO THE COASTAL OCEAN?
Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment
Facility
Thank you!
Thomas Hammond – [email protected]
STAP website – www.unep.org/stap