Programme Cooperation Agreement 2012 – 2013

Geographic reach of the GEF/UNEP Blue Forests Project though the small-scale interventions, replication and up-scaling activities, and other project components.

GEF/UNEP Blue Forests Project One of the Marine Division’s most significant strategic project developments is the proposal for the GEF Blue Forests Project. This four-year project, expected to begin in the first quarter of 2014, will be implemented by UNEP 26 and executed by GRID-Arendal. It aims to provide a bet- ter understanding of natural coastal carbon sequestration and storage and other coastal ecosystem service values, and explores how these values can be utilized for im- proved and sustainable ecosystem management. Core project partners 27 held their first formal meeting in January 2013. The responsibilities and expectations of each project partner and component were discussed, and a plan of action for incorporating them into the project proposal was agreed. Project consultations continued through 2013, and the Full-Sized Proposal (FSP) has now been finalized for submission by UNEP to the GEF. Additional project partners and funding were secured during 2013, including the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 28 and the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data 26. http://www.unep.org/ 27. Blue Ventures, Conservation International, Duke University, GRID-Arendal, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) 28. http://www.noaa.gov/

Initiative (AGEDI), 29 which together bring approximately USD11 million in co-financing to the project. 30 AGEDI’s co- finance includes the entire Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demon- stration Project managed by GRID-Arendal (see below), as a ‘featured intervention’ of the GEF project. Other interven- tions of the Blue Forests Project include those planned in Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Ecuador. Rep- lication and up-scaling activities are planned globally with targeted activities planned in Central America and Kenya. During 2013 GRID-Arendal represented the GEF Blue Forests Project in the monthly Eye on Oceans and Blue Carbon 31 partner calls, a Special Initiative of the Eye on Earth Summit, 32 managed by AGEDI and UNEP. Since July 2013 GRID-Arendal has produced ‘Bluepages’, a bi-weekly newsletter for the Blue Forests Project intended to keep all partners updated on the progress of the project and up to date with relevant news and events. include the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Stockholm University, Charles Darwin University, and Blue Climate Solutions (a project of The Ocean Foundation). Also, in September 2013, GRID-Arendal engaged with Washington,DC-based GEF Blue Forests Project partners and Blue Carbon interests, including UNEP-RONA, World Bank’s Global Partnership for Oceans, NOAA, U.S. Department of State, The Ocean Foundation, Restore America’s Estuaries, and the Marine Conservation Institute. 31. http://www.eyeonearthsummit.org/special-initiative-blue-carbon 32. http://www.eyeonearthsummit.org/ 29. http://www.agedi.ae/ 30. Other partners brought into the Blue Forests Project in 2013

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