· Web viewIn 2017, one of the Nansen voyages was to Tema, Ghana, for the second time. The Nansen...

Johannesburg Model United Nations 2018Committee

Research Report | of 4

JOMUN XIV

Forum: Environmental Commission

Issue: Measures

to manage and

protect African

marine and

costal

ecosystems

Student Officer:

Yasmin Ho

Position: Deputy

Chair

A marine ecosystem is defined as a community where biotic factors interact with abiotic factors in the ocean. Global marine ecosystems include: the abyssal plan, polar regions, coral reefs, the deep sea, hydrothermal vents, kelp forest, the open ocean, rocky shores. While, a coastal ecosystem is defined as a community where biotic factors interact with abiotic factors in the area where water and land meet. Global costal ecosystem includes some wetlands, salt marshes, mangroves, estuaries, seagrass and bays. African marine and coastal ecosystems are extremely important as they provide humans with a lot of essential materials such as medicine, they add great economic value, physical protection, employment, destinations for tourism, provide spiritual and cultural value and provide income. For instance, 42% of West Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) is produced from

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its coastal regions. In fact, 1.6 million tons of West African fish that is legally caught each year brings in US$2.5 billion. However, marine and coastal ecosystems are rapidly deteriorating due to a combination of man-made activities and natural disasters. Natural disasters can cause massive, yet temporary, disruptions in marine and costal ecosystems. Human activity, however, has a more significant and long-lasting impact on marine and costal ecosystems. Humans activities such as overexploitation of marine and coastal resources, urbanization, increases in the tourism industry, the releasing of pollutants, industry development, and climate change are damaging marine and coastal ecosystems.

African marine and costal ecosystems have the capability to gain wealth and develop African countries socially. Marine and coastal resources and ecosystems if used at a sustainable rate could be used for social and economic development. Marine and coastal ecosystems contribute to a significant number of economic sectors, such as commercial fisheries, tourism, salt, oil, and construction materials (such as lime, wood, sand, and rocks). However, because African countries are overexploiting resources within marine and coastal ecosystems for short term economic gain, marine and coastal ecosystems are rapidly deteriorating, despite the African countries’ heavy reliance on the ecosystems. Many African countries rely on coastal resources and organisms such as fish or oil to contribute greatly towards the country’s GDP. However, many African marine and coastal ecosystems are being destroyed, and are not contributing as much as they could to boost prosperity. Marine and costal ecosystems can add great economic value and development because of the rich amount of fish in these ecosystems or add great economic value via its tourism industry, or the provision of construction materials and so on. However, because of over fishing, destructive and illegal fishing habits, the overexploitation of fishing is occurring, which is creating unbalanced ecosystems. Similarly, the tourism industry is accelerating at a pace that is unsustainable to coastal and marine ecosystems. As the tourism industry increases, urbanization occurs, litter increases within coastal areas often leading to the widespread morality of coastal and marine species. If African countries undertake commercial activities at a sustainable rate, coastal and marine ecosystems would be healthier and produce greater economic development.

African marine and coastal ecosystems also have the capability for social development. Coastal ecosystems sustain a lot of the world’s most underprivileged communities. These communities heavily rely on services of coastal and marine ecosystems for livelihoods and food sources. For instance, coral reef and other ecosystems, which are important for fisheries provide these poorer communities with livelihood opportunities and a source of a protein. Using marine and coastal ecosystems and its resources at a sustainable rate brings



improved social development as there would be more food readily available and more employment opportunities.

Biotic factors-are the living organisms within an ecosystem. Biotic factors are affected by its environment (abiotic factors). Biotic factors are grouped into three major groups: producers or autotrophs (organisms that produce their own food source), consumers or heterotrophs (organisms that gain energy through consuming other living organisms), and decomposers or detritivores (organisms that survive through breaking and eating organic compounds created by other organisms).

Abiotic factors-are the non-living organisms within an ecosystem. Abiotic factors affect living organisms within an ecosystem. Abiotic factors include: temperature, water depth, pH levels, rain, altitude, humidity, and more.

Marine ecosystems- is a community where biotic factors interact with abiotic factors in the ocean. Global marine ecosystems include: the abyssal plan, polar regions, coral reefs, the deep sea, hydrothermal vents, kelp forest, the open ocean, rocky shores.

Costal ecosystem-is a community where biotic factors interact with abiotic factors in the area where water and land meet. Global costal ecosystem includes some wetlands, salt marshes, mangroves, estuaries, seagrass and bays.

Fisheries-a geographic area where fish are nurtured for commercial reasons

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African marine and costal (especially the latter due to the closeness to human population centers) ecosystems are rapidly deteriorating due to a combination of natural disasters and human activity. This has resulted in the loss of marine and costal species, ecosystem diversity, and of minerals and molecules that are important for the medical industry and for medical research. Scientists have found that the over-exploitation of larger marine and costal species will disrupt the ocean’s ecosystem for millions of years. Natural disasters can cause massive, but usually temporary disruptions in marine and costal ecosystems. Human activity, however, has a more significant and long-lasting impact on marine and costal ecosystems. African marine and costal ecosystems are deteriorating rapidly and will continue to deteriorate over the next decade because of the acceleration of building urban extensions, new facilitates, poverty levels, and the overexploitation of marine and costal ecosystems for short term economic gain. If the government and organizations continue to allow over-exploitation of marine and costal resources, the burning of fossil fuels, and many more activities that are damaging the marine and costal ecosystems, the ecosystems will continue to deteriorate rapidly and many marine and coastal species will become extinct. For instance, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) believes that approximately 30 percent of the global fish stocks are over exploited, while 57 percent of fish stocks are fully exploited.

Human activities such as burning fossil fuels for energy exploration (which emits 87 percent of the global greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere) or deforestation (which emits eleven percent of the global greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere) are the primary contributors of climate change. Climate change is extremely devastating to marine and costal ecosystems. Climate change causes the rising of sea levels, costal erosions, coral bleaching lowland flooding, and ultimately an altered environment. Organisms have adapted to specific abiotic environments and climate change is altering the environments, sometimes resulting in the death of certain species. The death of certain species because of the altered environment would also alter the entire food web causing further death of other species in the ecosystem (who would have use those species as a food source and so on). For instance, climate change is causing temperatures to rise within marine and costal ecosystems. When temperatures rise, African mountain top icecaps melt, which limits the concentration of oxygen in the water. Sometimes causing plants and animals within the marine and costal ecosystems to suffocate, the death of certain animals and plants would affect the entire food web and could cause imbalance within the ecosystems. Climate change also causes the organisms’ habitats to become more acidic because bodies of water absorb gasses such as atmospheric carbon dioxide. The higher levels of acid within the ecosystems may impede on some of the marine and costal organisms’ capability to form shells. Similarly, plankton organisms’ capability to form shells is inhibited which disrupts life within the base of the ocean’s food cycle. Climate change is extremely damaging towards the African marine and costal ecosystems because it disrupts and alters the organism’s natural life cycles and environments, which either kills the organisms or forces it to adapt.



The increase in the human population has resulted in the damage of marine and costal ecosystems because of the over-exploitation, litter, and pollution that is generated from the increase in the human population. As the human population increases there is the acceleration of the tourist industry, urbanization, development of facilities, industrial installations, fishing, mining, water disposal, oil drilling, shipping of good and mari-culture to support the growing population. For instance, tourism has played big role in damaging the marine and costal ecosystems in Africa. The tourism rate in Africa is growing at a rate of six percent per year. The number of tourist arrivals to Africa has more than doubled between 1995 and 2014. However, this has had a devastating effect on the marine and costal ecosystems as big tourist attractions are the oceans and coastlines of Africa and especially in areas with high levels of biodiversity. In fact, 80 percent of all global tourism occurs in coastal areas. This has resulted in coral reefs being destroyed from anchors from the boats used to get to a coral reef. This has also resulted in urbanization occurring to support the tourism industry, increases in litter, which is causing a widespread morality of marine and costal species. Another problem that accompanies the growing population is over-exploitation. The growing population requires more resources and in order to sustain the growing population there is the over-exploitation of living marine and costal resources. For instance, the overexploitation of fishing. As the population is growing, the global demand for fish is also growing stronger. Africa’s growing population along and in coastal areas, the world’s growing population and the global demand for fish has driven overfishing and the destruction of marine and costal ecosystems. Not only has the overexploitation of fishing damaged marine and costal ecosystems, but it has also damaged African economies. For instance, in Guinea-Bissau, the marine fisheries sector provided 25 to 30 percent of government budgetary receipts, however if the country continues to overfish or fish in way that is unstainable, the country’s economy will be impacted negatively. The growing population has resulted in altered food webs, damaged habitats, and an imbalanced ecosystem. The increase in the human population and the intense activities to sustain the growing population and to meet the economic needs have placed mountainous pressure on the marine and costal resources, organisms and has led to the destruction of many marine and costal ecosystems, abused resources, and altered food webs.

Kenya

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Kenya has developed the Coastal Development Project, which was financed by The World Bank and Global Environmental Facility (GEF.) This project aimed to promote and manage Kenya’s coast as well as its marine and coastal resources. The Kenya Coastal Development Project, implemented in 2011, had four components: Sustainable Management of Fisheries Resources (aimed to improve fisheries’ governance), Sound Management of Natural Resources (aimed to improve the regeneration of biodiversity and natural resources of marine and costal environments), Support for Alternative Livelihoods (aimed at supporting small and medium businesses and communities to plan land and comply with environmental regulations) and lastly component 4: Capacity Building, Monitoring and Evaluation System, Project Management, Communication (renamed Hazina Maendeleo ya Pwani). This component aims to help investment in alternative villages and those in alternative livelihoods. The global objective is to increase the sustainable use of marine and costal biodiversity and protection of marine and costal ecosystems and biodiversity. The Costal Development Project for Kenya was moderately satisfactory. However, a lot of improvements could have been made to the Coastal Development Project such as additional institutional arrangement for involvement of local government and of the strengthening of local ownership and leadership. Kenya is one of the African countries that are on the right path in protecting and managing African marine and costal ecosystems.

Mozambique

The coastal areas of Mozambique have experienced a great deal of challenges as a results of climate change. One of the major challenges is the expected rise in sea levels as well as the frequency and intensity of storms. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) established a project in 2012 to address the most urgent adaption priorities that need to be put in place to help Mozambique analyze its climate risks. The primary challenges facing Mozambique are: inadequate land use planning, high population pressure on the natural resource, inherit challenges of coastlines, sea level rising, high population pressure on the natural resources, inherent challenges of coastlines, destructive maritime hazards such as storms, and widespread poverty in coastal area further degrading the ecosystem. The project has identified four goals as priorities. Firstly, to map eroded land and vegetation, secondly to introduce rehabilitation techniques for the dunes and mangroves to reduce further erosion. To identify further actions to prevent further erosion and to develop strategies to introduce good practices in coastal communities. The project has identified three pilot sites and has already began introducing such activities together with the Ministry for Co-ordination of Environmental Affairs, the National Institute for Disaster Management, the national Institute of Meteorology and the Ministry of Agriculture. The project ended in 2015.



Norway

The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the institute of Marine Research (IMR) or Bergen, successfully implement the Nansen Program. The Nansen Program is funded by Norad and is implemented by IMR. The Nansen Program first began in 1974, and it was proposed by Norway’s previous Director of Fisheries, Klaus Sunnanå, who wanted to help provide a Norwegian research vessel that provided support and management of fisheries in developing countries. However, today, the Nansen Program is focusing more heavily on the poor management practices of developing countries, which is leading to the destruction of marine and costal ecosystems. The Nansen Program aims to help create adaptive strategies that are needed to help prevent the damage of marine and costal ecosystems. Most of the Nansen Program voyages have been in African waters. In 2017, one of the Nansen voyages was to Tema, Ghana, for the second time. The Nansen Program helps the developing countries construct a plan in managing its marine and costal resources as well as enhancing the knowledge of marine and costal ecosystems in the country. The Nansen Program plans to go and has been to many other African Countries such as Morocco, Congo, Angola, Namibia, and many more African Countries.

Ghana:

Ghana, which is located in West Africa has a reasonably developed awareness of its coastal and marine environmental issues. They have a well-established regulatory body, the Ghana Maritime Authority who help study its marines. In addition, they have conducted various research surveys to understand and assess its coastal and marine environmental risks with a focus on protecting its ecosystems and environmental resources. 539km of Ghana’s boundary is coastline, so understanding its environmental risks is critical. However, various research studies have indicated Ghana’s marine and coastal risks prove to be great. Dr Atewerberhan is a marine scientist for Blue Ventures conservation. He undertook a study commissioned by the Coastal Resource Centre (University of Rhode Island) whose goals is to establish the first marine protected area in Ghana. The findings of the study showed a significant decline in fisheries, enormous amounts of plastic waste both inside and outside of the water which threatens the marine and costal ecosystems as it is non-biodegradable and can kill the species within the marine and costal ecosystems, vast amounts of discarded fishing nets which further kill ocean wildlife. The report concluded that more needs to be done in coastal management and better environmental stewardship. In 2017, the Ghanaian Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, announced Ghana will give priority attention to preventing marine pollution in line with the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations. The Minister noted that increased development in coastal areas, pollution from ships and land based sources are causing



coastlines to further deteriorate. Ghana’s coastline contributes significantly to its national economy with gas and oil production, port operations, thermal electricity generation, coastal agriculture and fishing all being important. There have been strides in the right direction, Ghana committed to the efforts around the world to protects its oceans and ratified the London Convention (1972) which aims to control the ocean’s pollution. Ghana incorporated these provisions into its Marine Pollution Act (Act 932) in 2017. Support has also been given by The World Bank Group who is committed to marine and coastal resource protection. They have active projects in West Africa aimed at fisheries management, technical assistance on combating coastal erosion and partnerships to help build better governance of ocean and coastlines.

NamibiaNamibia has 1,570km of coastline, which significantly contribute to the country’s economic health. The coastline has a large ecosystem filled with biodiversity. The Namibian costs is highly dynamic with string winds, forceful currents, rich fish, plankton and marine life. The Namibian government is actively involved and committed to policies to help maintain biological diversity and its coastal ecosystems and to conserve its coastal and marine environments. One such example is the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project (NACOMA) whish was a project running from 2006 – 2011. The project was funded by the Global Environmental Facility and the World Bank. It’s aims was to prevent the loss of biodiversity, prevent further coastal degradation in Namibia and to promote sustainable development. Similarly, the Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that aims to promote sustainable development to is coastal wetlands and desserts. Its focus is on the environment and climate change in the region. In 2014, partnered with the International Atomic Energy Agency to collect a diverse range of marine sample off its coasts. The goals are to collect data and to monitor its marines and costal species and ecosystems and the oceans as a whole. The partners in the project continue to collect baselines to better understand is marine health and to better protect the oceans for all of its ecosystems.

Madagascar

Madagascar is a unique collection of islands off East Africa and it has the largest coastline in Africa with 4828km of coastline and 450km of barrier reefs. It is home to the world’s largest coral reef systems and extensive mangrove areas in the western Indian Ocean. Due to the importance of conserving Madagascar’s coastal and marine health and ecosystems, various international organizations support Madagascar with a strong focus on conservation and encourage volunteers to help support the regions conservation strategies. The World Wide Fund (WWF) aims to protect, restore and maintain is unique biodiversity and ecosystems by working in harmony with local people. The WWF works with governments, scientists and



local communities to help protect and sustain its coastal community. Blue Ventures, a conservation NGO similarly works with the local community to help protect the country’s mangroves. Mangroves are being lost at a rate of 1-2% per year but are vital for coastal protection and support fisheries and marine biodiversity. By working with local communities to educate on the importance of mangrove health and the impact on livelihoods if they continue to be destroyed. Currently 34 communities work together with Blue Ventures on mangrove conservation and fisheries management initiatives. The United Nations has similarly partnered with Madagascar on sustainable management of coastal and marine resources. The program that has been developed aims to provide good governance strategies of fisheries, help the island manage its marine and costal ecosystems and biodiversity. The program interacts with the local community to help develop community based actions to help sustain livelihoods. The project is a multi-partnership project that is involving universities, government, scientist, community and more that are all focused on coastal and marine ecosystem and health conservation.

Sweden Sweden has helped and supported African marine and costal environments, ecosystems, and has also attempted to create a fair economic development plan in the fishing sector in Africa. For instance, Sweden’s regional research council has helped contributed to determine the outcomes of climate change in marine and costal environments (climate change heavily damages marine and costal ecosystems), and the damage to coral reefs and mangroves in Africa. Sweden also collaborates with the FAO, African Union (NEPAD), NGOs, other regional organizations, and countries in efforts to make fishing and aquaculture an equitable economic development in the fishing sector in Africa as well as taking into account the damages of things such as climate change that damages marine and costal ecosystems. One successful outcome of the collaboration of Sweden with NGOS, regional organization and countries is the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa, which was agreed upon and implemented by African Ministers in 2014. This creates the platform for further efforts in the fishing sector to create a fair, social and economic development in Africa. Sweden collaborations with the FAO and NEPAD has also produced the Regional Management Plan for Lake Chad, which is the first attempt of the ecosystem approach to the fishing of inland waters in Africa, incorporates the impact of disasters and as well as the issue of climate change. The plan ensures the sustainability of yearly fishery production and supports Chad’s costal ecosystems by ensuring the sustainability of fish in Chad. Sweden is one of the countries who is contributing a lot towards the protection of African marine and coastal ecosystems by educating African countries in protecting their marine and coastal ecosystems and as well as helping the country develop economically through their marine and coastal resources in a sustainable way.

World Bank



The World Bank has heavily helped in protecting and managing African marine and costal ecosystems and environments. For instance, the World Bank has help protect and manage African marine and costal ecosystems through running the African Ministerial Conference on Ocean Economies and Climate, with the FAO and African Development Bank. Within this conference, African Ministers from coastal countries, developing states, and small island attended the conference in Mauritius on September 1 and 2, 2016. The goal of the African Ministerial Conference on Ocean Economies and Climate, was to emphasize and discuss the importance of creating sustainable climate-smart ocean economies in Africa. The conference participants were focused on change and agreed upon a vision to be climate-smart ocean economics. The final comments of the conference contained a firm call for climate action in the oceans and coasts of Africa. The World Bank, FAO, and the African Development Bank developed a package that consisted of technical and financial support to aid African countries in creating their ocean-smart economies in a sustainable and environmental friendly way that will protect the environment and its marine and costal ecosystems. The World Bank has also helped many countries in improving and supporting their marine and costal ecosystems. For instance, the World Bank helped finance Kenya’s Coastal Development Project, which aimed to promote and manage Kenya’s coast as well as its marine and coastal resources. The World Bank has also helped Ghana in active projects in West Africa aimed at fisheries management, technical assistance on combating coastal erosion and partnerships to help build better governance of ocean and coastlines. Similar to Sweden efforts, The World Bank is an organization that heavily helps African countries in teaching them how to protect their marine and coastal ecosystems, how to sustainably use their marine and coastal resources, and how to develop economically by using their marine and coastal resource in a sustainably and environmentally friendly way.

9 February 2016 The South African, Minister of Environmental Affairs, proposed 22 new marine protected areas (MPAs) in South Africa and set a target of 15% protection of South African coastlines by 2028. Some of the areas to be protected include the fossilized yellow wood forest near Port Nolloth, and a destination in Kwa-Zulu Natal where seven species of shark live.

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2000 The Coastal Resource Centre (CRC), an American based NGO, begins working in Africa. The CRC works with coastal communities in many Eastern and Western African countries including Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana and Gambia. CRC works within each region to develop solutions to various coastal communities including overfishing, mangrove deforestation, coastal development and climate change to help protect marine and coastal ecosystems. The CRC develops various programs that work with coastal communities and national government to help develop sustainable coastal ecosystem programs.

2009 The World Bank works in coordination with various partners to develop the West Africa Coastal Management Program (WACA). The program gives West African countries access to knowledge and finance to help save their coastal areas from issues such as coastal flooding, mangrove deforestation and coastal erosion, which are causing the destruction of marine and coastal ecosystems. The program provides technical assistance and investment to help countries manage erosion and sustain a healthy coastal ecosystem.

March 2013 Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism drafts the National Policy on Coastal Management. The 20-page policy provided a framework to help provide for sustainable economic growth and ways in which to strengthen governance of Namibia’s coastal areas and its marine and coastal ecosystems.

3 April 2016 Africa’s Blue Economy: A policy handbook created by the UN was first published. The handbook emphasizes that Africa’s oceans and lakes are important to the continents’ future sustainable development and wealth, if the resources are used properly. The handbook can potentially play a big role in Africa’s social, structural and economic development. The



handbook provides a guide to help African countries incorporate the Blue Economy policy handbook into their national laws, strategies, polies, and development plans. The handbook commends the sustainable management, use, and protection of marine ecosystems and resources. The handbook encourages regional cooperation to protect marine ecosystems.

The United Nations has taken a significant amount of action in managing and protecting African ecosystems. Whether it ranges from resolutions that takes action against illegal and destructive fishing practices, to protecting marine and coastal ecosystems or creating a program to tackle the issue. However, the United Nations has tackled the issue of protecting and managing African marine and coastal ecosystems very vaguely as they have rather tackled the issue on a global scale as opposed to Africa specific. Below are a few of the resolutions, goals, and programs the United Nations has implemented to help manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems:

Life Below Water: United Nations’ 14th sustainable development goal, introduced in 2015 as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Goal 14 or Life Below Water is the one of the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals. The goal’s purpose is to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems from issues such as pollution, overexploitation and climate change. The goal also aims to tackle the impacts of ocean acidification, which is caused gasses such as Carbon Dioxide.

Oceans and the Law of the Sea: United Nations’ Resolution 72, December 24, 2017, Resolution 72 (A/RES/72/249)

A resolution urging countries to protect and to conserve their marine environments and ecosystems by using their best efforts to prevent pollution (especially from land base sources such as power plants).

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The Regional Seas Program: United Nations program, 1974

The Regional Seas Program’s purpose is to tackle the accelerating deterioration of the world’s oceans and coastal areas, which would include topics such as the deterioration of marine and coastal ecosystems. Currently, there are more than 143 countries who have joined the 18 Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans, where the countries plan for the sustainable governance and use of marine and coastal environments.

Sustainable fisheries, including through the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and related instruments: United Nations’ Resolution 68, December 9,2013, Resolution 68 (A/RES/68/71)

The General Assembly adopted this resolution in 2014, which called upon regional fisheries management organizations (RMFOs) to take action against destructive and illegal fishing practices, including bottom trawl fishing, in order to protect marine and coastal ecosystems and environments.

There has not been a significant number of attempts to manage and protect African marine and coastal ecosystems. This is evident through the United Nations, which has only tackled the issue of managing and protecting African marine and coastal ecosystems very vaguely through countries such as Kenya. However, the United Nations does aim to tackle the accelerating deterioration of the world’s oceans, coastal areas and ecosystems through solving various issues that contribute to the destruction of marine and coastal ecosystems, such as over fishing or illegal fishing or destructive fishing. However, these efforts have been on a global scale that is inclusive of Africa as opposed to Africa specific remedies. Regardless of these global efforts by the United Nations, there are many organizations and countries, which are specifically focusing on and emphasizing the importance of African marine and coastal ecosystems conservation. NGOs and countries such as the World Bank or the FAO or countries such as Norway and Sweden are specifically focusing on managing and protecting African marine and coastal ecosystems.

A worthy example of one of the previous efforts to solve this issue is from the World Bank. The World Bank is one of the leading inter-governmental organization in stressing the

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importance of conservation of African marine and coastal ecosystems. They World Bank hold numerous conferences to help educate Western African countries and ministers on ways to protect and manage marine and coastal ecosystems, as well as teaching African countries on ways to sustainably use their countries marine and coastal resources in ways that will not damage marine and coastal ecosystems. One of the previous attempts made by The World Bank to solve this issue was the West Africa Coastal Area Management Program (WACA). The WACA Program is primarily focused on guiding Western African countries on sustainably managing their coastal areas, resources and spurring economic development through sustainably using their costal resources. The WACA Program aids west African countries in accessing finances and guidance to sustainably managing their countries’ coastal areas in a way that will protect coastal ecosystems. The program was created because of countries’ pleas for finances and solutions for the social and economic assets of protecting and managing coastal areas. For instance, the WACA program would help a Western African country with the economic assets it would require in amending damages to a coastal area such as the finances it will cost to amend coastal erosion and flooding. By helping protect coastal areas this also protecting coastal ecosystems. Coastal areas hold a great amount of natural resource (in the sea, at sea, and on land), which are essential to ecosystem. Issues such as pollution, unsustainable infrastructure, and insufficient management of coastal ecosystems and resources are damaging coastal ecosystems. However, the WACA Program is helping countries to protect their coastal ecosystems by providing the finances to fixing damaged coastal areas such as flooding and coastal erosion, which are destroying natural resources such as coral, which coastal ecosystems relay on to keep a balanced ecosystem.

The participants of the program concluded that the program cannot be fully successful if coastal conservations decisions are made at a national level only. The program participants found that a change in their region to prevent coastal erosion then effected neighboring countries’ coastal erosion. Therefore, they concluded that for the WACA program to be successful, it requires co-operation at both a national and regional level to ensure all relevant parties are informed and involved. In addition, they concluded that decisions need to be flexible at a regional area to adapt to a region’s specific conservation issues.

Increasing the number of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and coastal protected areas

Increase the number of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and coastal protected areas to better manage and achieve pre-determined conservation goals. MPAs are proven to help restore and

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protect coastal areas. Awareness

Continued and extensive campaigns focused on raising awareness to tourists, fishermen, local coastal communities, schooling communities and more on coastal environmental risks as well as awareness of practices aimed at coastal conservation.

Collaboration with the UN

Work with UN committees to help facilitate marine coastal protection policies across the African continent at both a national and regional level. UN and relevant NGOs to collaborate across the continent to ensure marine and coastal protection policies are beneficial to neighboring countries, that best practices and learnings are shared.

Creation of a committee that oversees policies are being implemented

Having a committee that ensures that policies are being implemented within coastal and marine environments. For instance, having the committee ensure that mangrove forests are not being damaged, that fishing policies are being adhered too, ocean animals are not being poached, and tourist are following coastal regulations.

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http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTENVMAT/Resources/3011340-1238620444756/5980735-1238620476358/11AFR.pdf This website contains information around the importance of African marine and coastal ecosystems, how African marine and coastal ecosystems are at risk, the value and potential of the African ecosystems, and how the World Banks is helping to protect the ecosystems.

https://sciencing.com/destruction-marine-ecosystem-5777.html This website contains information about a few of the issues that causes the destruction of marine ecosystems.

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/east_african_coast/area/index/causes_effects/ This website contains information about some of the causes and effects of costal destruction and coastal ecosystem destruction.

APPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICESAPPENDIX OR APPENDICES

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/east_african_coast/area/index/causes_effects/

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/east_african_coast/area/index/causes_effects/

https://sciencing.com/destruction-marine-ecosystem-5777.html

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTENVMAT/Resources/3011340-1238620444756/5980735-1238620476358/11AFR.pdf

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTENVMAT/Resources/3011340-1238620444756/5980735-1238620476358/11AFR.pdf

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