GRID-Arendal Biennium Report 2008 - 2009

Continental Shelf: The Last Maritime Zone (November 2009) www.grida.no/publications/shelf-last-zone/

Many coastal States are currently involved in defining their maritime jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea legislation. While the final boundaries may not be in place for some time, 2009 marks an important year, as many of the eligible States submitted their proposed outer limits for examination and decision. This publication illustrates the status of these submissions and put them into the perspective of the new world map.

A major impact on the political implications of climate change and the marine environment is presented in: Blue Carbon - The Role of Healthy Oceans in Binding Carbon (October 2009) www.grida.no/publications/rr/blue-carbon/

A new Rapid Response Assessment report released 14 October 2009 at the Diversitas Conference, Cape Town Conference Centre, South Africa. Compiled by experts at GRID-Arendal and UNEP in collaboration with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the UNESCO International Oceanographic Commissions and other institutions, the report highlights the critical role of the oceans and ocean ecosystems in maintaining our climate and in assisting policy makers to mainstream an oceans agenda into national and international climate change initiatives.

Already in the forefront of the UNFCCC COP15 in Copenhagen the knowledge about the oceans enormous capacity to store carbon with its coastal habitats of mangroves, sea grasses and salt marshes (now called “blue carbon”; colouring carbon is a term introduced by GA) had spread fast all over the world. Meanwhile hundred of thousands of citations can be found on the Internet. And key States related to the climate discussion, such as India and the United States, have expressed major interest to look for ways to protect these habitats. It became a main theme within UNEP and stood at the centre of the discussions at UNEP’s Special Session of the Governing Council (GCSS XI) in Bali. If this report in the future can be seen as the starting point of major initiatives to protect “blue carbon” it will have a major impact. In particular, the protection and increase of mangroves in developing coastal countries will have a huge positive impact on the climate, biodiversity, fishery, coastal protection, tourism and hence may even play a role in poverty alleviation. The establishment of an international “Blue Carbon Fund” (comparable with REDD for the “Green Carbon) to secure the implementation of increased mangrove protection would be another major impact linked to this publication. The following Rapid Response Report achieved a notable global impact in terms of awareness-raising and outreach:

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