Topic: caribbean

RELEASE: 14 Latin American and Caribbean Countries Adopt an Ambitious Plan of Action to Improve Access Rights in the Region

Lauren Zelin — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:17:15 -0400

Fourteen Latin American and Caribbean countries adopted an ambitious Plan of Action to improve access rights in the region, including access to information, public participation, and access to justice. The plan, which was approved at a meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico, on April 16-17, 2013, seeks to implement the Latin American and Caribbean Declaration on Principle 10 that was signed at the Rio +20 Conference in June 2012, under which countries agreed to work towards a regional instrument to improve access rights.

The meeting began with Colombia and Honduras signing on to the LAC Declaration, a major accomplishment for all parties. The 14 countries that have now signed on include: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

“The new Plan of Action shows political will to transform environmental justice and transparency in the region,” said Carole Excell, Senior Associate at the World Resources Institute and The Access Initiative. “It sets the pace and the agenda to tackle the challenges of negotiating a regional instrument to ensure access rights across Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Under the new 2013-2014 Plan of Action, the LAC countries have committed to:

Promote the Principle 10 Declaration and incorporate new signatories into the process;
Strengthen and highlight the progress made on rights of access to information, participation, and justice;
Promote active participation of civil society at the national level; and
Develop working groups to deliberate capacity-building and cooperation efforts, and determine the nature and scope of the regional instrument.

Ambassador Jose Balmaceda of Chile noted that the Plan of Action “is a strong political signal to the international community that we are responding in a responsible way to this commitment [to Principle 10] … It is the first time that government representatives from 14 countries and civil society sat down to debate – with transparency and trust – relevant issues for the future of the region. This is a testament to maturity in the region. We have been able to reach consensus on the Plan of Action that will allow us to move ahead on national processes and regional efforts. I am sure that this result will motivate other nations in the region to join the process.”

The Plan of Action includes a number of innovative provisions, including procedures for public participation in the regional process and its working groups. It will create opportunities for close South-to-South cooperation on rights to promote transparency, public participation, and access to justice, as well as a focus on increased support for effective implementation at the national level.

“We hope at the end of 2014 we can count on the development of an instrument on Principle 10 that establishes concrete actions to guarantee effective and informed participation to all citizens and communities of our region,” said Daniel Barragan, Ecuadorian Center for Environmental Law (Centro Ecuatoriane de Derecho Ambinental Ambiental), an environmental law NGO. “Soon we can have a voice and be a part of the decision making on the environment and natural resources.”

In addition to adopting the Plan of Action, members elected co-chairs to run the working groups. Costa Rica and Brazil were mandated to design the regional instrument on Principle 10 and Jamaica and Columbia were given the role to facilitate work on cooperation and capacity building.

RELEASE: Caribbean Freedom of Information Network launched at Landmark Conference

Lauren Zelin — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:55:32 -0400

11 Caribbean Countries Meet to Discuss Freedom of Information Laws in the Region

For the first time, Caribbean governments and civil society have come together to discuss access to information, public participation in governance, and access to justice at a landmark conference held in Kingston, Jamaica. Representatives from 11 Caribbean countries attended the “Regional Conference on Freedom of Information in the Caribbean: Improving Management for the Environment.”

At the close of the two-day conference on March 21, 2013, governments, civil society, and media announced the decision to launch a Caribbean network on freedom of information to support processes to improve standards for access to information in the region.

Dr. Carolyn Gomes, chairperson of the Access to Information Advisory Stakeholders’ Committee and Executive Director of Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) said, “freedom of information is the most powerful tool for ordinary citizens to arm themselves with the information they need to change their lives. Launching this freedom of information network will build opportunities for collaboration, learning and capacity building among information commissioners, civil society and media across the region.”

Countries reviewed the status and effectiveness of freedom of information laws, the number of requests for information being made in each country, and institutional structures for implementation and enforcement. Jamaica is one of seven Caribbean countries (Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Cayman Islands) to have freedom of information laws in force. Five countries have draft laws pending, and Bahamas and Guyana have passed laws but they are not yet in force. Gaps in implementation were noted in Belize, Antigua, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, which have laws that have not yet fully been utilized by the public.

“Freedom of information laws ensure that citizens can access official documents from their governments and gives them a voice in decisions that directly impact them and the environment,” said Danielle Andrade, Legal Director of the Jamaica Environment Trust. “Using Jamaica’s Access to Information Act, we were able to obtain documents to build our legal case to compel the government to fix a non-functioning sewage treatment plant in Harbour View, Kingston.”

The event was a follow-up to the Rio+20 sustainable development conference in May of 2012, where ten countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) signed a declaration to work towards a legally binding, regional instrument to promote the implementation of the rights of access to information, public participation, and access to justice in environmental matters. Jamaica was the first Caribbean country to sign the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Declaration on Principle 10, and Trinidad and Tobago joined in 2013.

“The LAC Principle 10 regional declaration is a game changing opportunity for the region,” said Carole Excell, Senior Associate at the World Resources Institute. “Caribbean governments need to embrace new regional approaches that seek to improve transparency, reduce conflicts over environmental decisions, and build capacity to implement new rights for citizens.”

Michelle Fife, Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines stated, “this is a positive initiative which brings the region together on an important issue. Transparency is important to our government. With continued work we will build and strengthen our institutional capacity to improve access to information.”

The conference was funded by The Commonwealth Foundation, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Information Commissioner’s Office of the Cayman Islands. Organizers included the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), World Resources Institute (WRI), The Access Initiative (TAI), Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), The Mona School of Business and Management, and the Access to Information Unit of Jamaica.

Influence of Coastal Economic Valuations in the Caribbean: Enabling Conditions and Lessons Learned

Sarah Parsons — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:55:24 -0500

Executive Summary

Across the Caribbean, national economies are heavily dependent on coastal ecosystem services. Coral reefs, mangroves, and other coastal ecosystems provide fish habitat, attract tourists, and protect shorelines from storm damage. However, coastal habitats continue to degrade due to local and global pressures. For example, more than 75 percent of the Caribbean’s coral reefs are currently threatened by human activities. These threats to coastal ecosystems stem from both a lack of awareness of the benefits these ecosystems provide and the costs of insufficient protection, and a lack of political will to protect and sustainably manage these ecosystems. Many of the activities that damage coastal ecosystems arise from shortsighted and poorly informed decisions that fail to take long-term ecosystem values and the full range of benefits from coastal ecosystem services into account.

Economic valuation can contribute to better informed and more holistic decision making about resource use and identify opportunities for effective conservation. Over the past 30 years, the economic valuation literature on the Caribbean’s coastal and ocean resources has increased substantially. More than 200 coastal economic valuation studies of the monetary value of marine ecosystem goods and services in the Caribbean currently exist. However, despite this wealth of valuation studies and estimates, it is not clear whether these efforts have had a meaningful impact on policy or decision making concerning the management and use of these valuable natural resources; to date, there has been no assessment to address this critical question. It is also not immediately clear why some valuations have been more influential than others.

To get a more complete picture of the influence of past coastal valuations in the Caribbean, and to identify the key “enabling conditions” for valuations to influence policy, management, or investment decisions, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Marine Ecosystem Services Partnership (MESP) conducted semi-structured interviews with more than thirty marine conservation and valuation experts. Several of these interviews took place in the five countries where WRI had conducted coastal valuations. WRI also reviewed past valuation studies in the Caribbean that informants identified as influential. The findings of this review are based on expert opinion and documented cases of influence. Given the large number of total valuations and the difficulty of tracking influence, this review is not exhaustive. This paper identifies a number of variables that likely influence policy, management, and investment outcomes; however, it does not identify the extent to which each variable contributes to influence. We encourage future research on this topic.

Overall, we found that although valuation studies have helped raise awareness about the economic importance of coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean, few have actually had a positive influence on conservation and management- oriented policy, legislation, or investment in the region. We identified only 13 valuation studies that have influenced policy. For example, valuation helped to convince the government of St. Maarten to establish the country’s first national marine park, and the government of Belize to legally ban bottom trawling. Still, these success stories highlight the potential for economic valuation to have influence. We were able to draw out key contextual, procedural, and methodological conditions that likely led to success.

The elements increasing the likelihood of policy influence included:

a clear policy question;
local demand for valuation;
strong local partnerships and stakeholder engagement;
good governance with high transparency;
opportunities for revenue-raising;
effective communications and access to decision makers and/or media; and
a clear presentation of methods, assumptions, and limitations.

This analysis suggests that getting the methodology right—a principal concern of economists—is only part of the equation. Valuation practitioners who aspire to achieve impact must also consider wider contextual and procedural factors (such as governance and stakeholder engagement) when assessing the likelihood that their valuation will be influential. Furthermore, absolute accuracy is not always essential, as many stakeholders use valuation results as a ballpark figure to guide decision making. For this reason, valuation should be done on a scale appropriate to the policy question, minimizing costs as far as possible. More precise valuation may be necessary for questions relating to fees and taxes. In all cases, clear presentation of methods, assumptions, and limitations is critical in order to address critiques and legitimize results.

In the Caribbean, interest in ecosystem valuation to inform smart choices about coastal resource conservation and management and associated land use continues to grow. However, based on the results of this analysis, it is clear that valuation practitioners need to do much more to ensure that valuation studies have greater influence. In order to achieve more meaningful impacts, greater effort is necessary to strategically choose, design, and execute valuation studies; communicate valuation results to target audiences; and share successes and failures of influence with other practitioners. We conclude with next steps for building on this analysis, including:

Conduct further consultations with experts and decision makers in the Caribbean and beyond to enlarge the catalog of valuation success stories, and explore additional opportunities for qualitative and quantitative analysis of trends and causality.
Develop standardized approaches to monitor and evaluate the influence of coastal valuations.
Research the “return on investment” of economic valuation for coastal conservation and management in relation to other conservation tools.

The results of this review will inform WRI and our partners’ efforts to produce a standardized framework for economic valuation of coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean. A standardized valuation framework would help produce comparable and credible values across the Caribbean, legitimizing their use among decision makers and increasing their uptake. Drawing from this review, the framework will also contain advice on how to make future economic valuations as influential as possible, so they can realize their potential to catalyze positive changes in policy, management, and investment—helping both to restore the productivity and increase the economic contributions of coastal resources, while safeguarding the Caribbean’s valuable coastal and marine resources for future generations.

RELEASE: Governments and Leaders Call for Strengthening Access to Transparency and Public Participation at Rio+20

James Anderson — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:51:06 -0400

More than 300 representatives from government, multilateral institutions, and civil society came together today to push for more action and commitments to support stronger governance around environmental issues.

Access to information, public participation and access to justice are core values that were embedded in the UN environmental process going back to the original Rio “Earth Summit” in 1992. These announcements show important progress toward implementing and strengthening these values at the international, national, and regional level.

Jose Luis Balmaceda, Chilean ambassador to the United Nations, attended the event, where he discussed efforts by a group of Latin American governments to strengthen their commitment to access rights in the region.

Ambassador Balmaceda said that Chile would guarantee Principle 10 and honor the original Rio Declaration. He noted that several governments are working together in Rio to explore the option of a regional approach on Principle 10. Additionally, he said that the negotiators have been working to strengthen this principle at different levels in the final Rio+20 outcome document.

“It is a fact that at the global and regional levels there is a growing recognition of the value of Principle 10, which demands to be translated into effective and concrete actions,” Ambassador Balmaceda said. “Chile is calling to reaffirm the need to achieve the commitments for the full implementation of the rights to access to information, participation, and justice.”

The call for greater access to information and justice was seconded by senior representatives from two UN agencies: Alicia Bercena, Executive Director of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC); and Sven Alkalaj, Executive Director, the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

In a statement Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations said, “My organization is committed to further advancing the application of Principle 10.” UNEP aims to improve Principle 10 “by enhancing opportunities for public participation and access to information, independent from the outcomes of Rio + 20.”

The EU has shown global leadership in embracing environmental protection and governance protection, through the Aarhus Convention, which is the largest regional effort to date to ensure people have the right to access to information, participation, and justice.

Jonas Ebbesson, Chair of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee said, “The Aarhus Convention shows that highly diverse states can agree on minimum requirements for public participation around environmental matters and they can trust an independent review mechanism in which civil society is a key actor.”

UNECE expressed its willingness to support efforts in the Latin American and Caribbean region to develop a convention on Principle 10 and to share experiences.

The announcement was made at a side event at Rio+20, “Choosing our Future: Open and Participatory Sustainable Development Governance,” organized by the United Nations Environment Programme, Fundação Getulio Vargas Rio Program on Law and Environment, the World Resources Institute, and the Access Initiative.

“In the context of the Rio Summit, where most countries have been reticent to strengthen international norms and legal frameworks, today’s announcements present an alternate and more positive approach. This demonstrates modest, but important progress toward greater governance among a number of democracies,” said Lalanath de Silva, director of the Access Initiative, an international network of non-governmental organizations that are working to advance rights and governance issues.

In addition to these announcements, a number of other governments made announcements around voluntary commitments with regard to open government and sustainability, including representatives from Mexico City and the Irish Delegation.

Correction: A previous version of the press release attributed a statement to Amina Mohammed, Deputy Director of UNEP. The correct attribution is Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.

-ENDS-

If you would like more information about the event and announcements, please contact Michael Oko; moko@wri.org; +55 (0) 21 8351 1349.

RELEASE: New Assessment Finds Management Efforts are Insufficient to Protect Mesoamerican Reef

Michael Oko — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:40:11 -0500

First-ever Eco-Audit of the Mesoamerican Reef Countries

Editor’s note: Online resources, including verification documentation, a description of the Eco-Audit indicators, summary results and more, are available at: www.wri.org/reefs and www.healthyreefs.org

The first-ever Eco-Audit of the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) countries finds that despite some positive management efforts, more needs to be done to protect the region’s coral reefs. The evaluation, entitled “2011 Eco-Audit of the Mesoamerican Reef Countries,” was carried out by the Healthy Reefs Initiative (HRI), in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI), and nearly 40 local organizations, government agencies and companies. The results are being launched simultaneously in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

The evaluation scored overall reef management as Fair (2.7 out of 5) across the region and for all thematic areas. This score indicates that, in general, the MAR ecosystem is not being adequately managed. The scores by country are: Belize 3.3, Honduras 2.7, Mexico 2.7 and Guatemala 2.2.

“Our evaluation has documented some positive steps in protecting reefs throughout the Mesoamerican region. However, there are many actions needed to protect the reefs that have been under discussion for decades. It’s time to complete and implement these actions,” said Dr. Melanie McField, director of the Healthy Reefs Initiative. “Reefs are a vital part of this region, providing both economic and cultural value to people in this area. We hope that this information will help to ensure that reefs can thrive for generations to come.”

The Mesoamerica Reef extends over 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles), from Mexico to Honduras, and includes the Western Hemisphere’s longest barrier reef, located in Belize. Economies in the region are highly dependent on marine resources, especially from tourism and fishing industries. In Belize alone, the reef is estimated to contribute approximately $395 to $559 million (U.S.) in goods and services each year.

The Eco-Audit was developed and implemented using twenty-two standardized management indicators across seven thematic areas. This includes: Research, Education and Awareness, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Global Issues, Coastal Zone Management, Sustainability in the Private Sector, Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management, and Sanitation and Sewage Treatment. Over 300 supporting documents were provided as verification of the results.

“Through this highly collaborative process, involving diverse stakeholders, we have developed a collective understanding of reef management efforts supported by robust data,” said Benjamin Kushner, research analyst, World Resources Institute. “We hope that our transparently verified and publicly available results help coastal and fisheries managers, tourism operators, and others make smart decisions to create a healthy environment for reefs.”

“Stakeholders are now demanding unprecedented levels of transparency from organizations and governments, since our current economic and social conditions have been affected by unethical practices and a lack of transparency,” said Antonio Grijalba of PricewaterhouseCoopers Costa Rica. “This initiative has been a challenging process for HRI, but is a very important step to improve the transparency and accountability of the MAR region, align efforts to address the most critical issues, and share best practices to improve performance.”

To ensure the quality of the results, the financial and management auditing firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers Costa Rica reviewed the methodology and provided feedback on the processes and indicators, and the quality of the verification documentation.

The analysis revealed several key successes, including:

The extent of territorial sea included in MPAs is relatively high across the region;
Harmonization of regulations for the lobster fishery was a major regional success; and
There have been long-standing efforts to monitor reef health across the region, complemented by good availability of information on reef condition and threats.

However, it also showed key shortcomings, including:

A number of MPAs have been created, but their management is mostly inadequate;
Wastewater is not being treated at standards necessary to protect coral reefs; and
There is a lack of comprehensive coastal zone planning that has resulted in poorly planned and sited coastal developments.

This first Eco-Audit provides the foundation for subsequent Eco-Audits, which will be implemented every two years, assuring a routine accounting of efforts to improve the health of the MAR.

Read the analysis and find out more at: www.healthyreefs.org and www.wri.org/reefs

-END-

Contact:

Melanie McField, Director, Healthy Reefs Initiative (Belize City, Belize); email: mcfield@healthyreefs.org; tel: (501) 223-4898; or

Michael Oko, Director, Media Relations, World Resources Institute (Washington, D.C.); email: moko@wri.org; tel. (202) 729-7684

Coastal Capital: Jamaica

Maggie Barron — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:01:16 -0400

This analysis includes a valuation of coral reef-associated fisheries, potential losses to tourism due to beach erosion, and examines the role of coral reefs in reducing coastal flooding during storms. In addition, we provide a literature review of 16 coral reef valuations conducted in Jamaica.

Jamaica’s Coastal Capital at Risk: Report from the Field

Richard Waite — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:17:14 -0400

A new economic valuation shows what Jamaica’s economy stands to lose if its coral reefs decline further.

Last week, I traveled to Jamaica with my colleagues Lauretta Burke and Benjamin Kushner to launch a new analysis called Coastal Capital: Jamaica – The Economic Contribution of Jamaica’s Coral Reefs. We spent several rainy days in Kingston, where we launched the report at two events, met with many members of Jamaica’s environmental community, and sampled delicious (but spicy) Jamaican cuisine. The sun came out near the end of the week, which allowed us to get out to the beach and see some coral reefs before heading back home.

Our first stop was the Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professionals’ (JIEP) bi-annual conference in Kingston. This year’s conference theme was “Balancing National Development and Environmental Protection,” and WRI officially launched Coastal Capital: Jamaica. We followed this launch event with a three-hour seminar on our results at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus. More than 80 people attended the two events, including some of the key players in environmental policy and coastal management in the country. Two of Jamaica’s national newspapers also covered the report, headlining the importance of the country’s coral reefs to its tourism and fishing industries.

Read the summary of Coastal Capital: Jamaica

Coral Reefs are Valuable

Coastal Capital: Jamaica finds that coral reefs provide significant value to the Jamaican economy. Reefs help build and protect Jamaica’s beautiful white coralline beaches, which attract millions of international tourists each year. Reefs provide critical habitat for Jamaica’s artisanal and industrial fisheries, and they also protect Jamaica’s coastline—including coastal communities and tourist hotels—from the destructive force of tropical storms. Unfortunately, Jamaica’s reefs are severely at risk, from overfishing, poorly planned coastal development, and pollution from land and sea. Climate change—which triggers warming seas and ocean acidification—is also taking its toll and its impacts are likely to increase in the future. Jamaica’s economy stands to lose if its reefs decline further.

Our key findings include:

Coral reef-related fisheries contribute US $34.3 million to Jamaica’s economy each year, and that this number could be much higher if Jamaica’s fisheries were sustainably managed.
Reef-related fisheries support between 15,000–20,000 fishermen, and contribute directly and indirectly to the livelihoods of at least 100,000 Jamaicans (or nearly 5% of the population) island-wide.
Further loss of coral reefs could more than double beach erosion rates in Jamaica’s major beach resort towns. Beach erosion rates could increase by more than 50 percent in Montego Bay, 70 percent in Ocho Rios, and 100 percent in Negril over a 10-year period.
Increased beach erosion could drive between 9,000–18,000 foreign tourists away from Jamaica each year, costing the country up to US $19 million in lost tourism revenue per year, and up to US $23 million in lost revenues to the wider Jamaican economy.
Coral reef degradation leads to increased wave heights during storms and thus leads to more widespread coastal flooding. For example, in Discovery Bay, severe reef degradation could cause the number of buildings flooded to more than triple.

Not the Last Word

We do not see Coastal Capital: Jamaica as the last word on the economic value and importance of the country’s coral reefs. Quite the contrary, we hope that these results will contribute to the ongoing conversation within the country about how to effectively balance Jamaica’s long-term development goals with its need to protect its natural environment in order to sustain development long into the future.

To that end, we had lively discussions at both events, as participants raised questions that quickly got to the heart of Jamaica’s most pressing environmental issues. How should Jamaica deal with its current situation of too many fishermen and not enough fish? Is the tourism industry—a leading moneymaker in Jamaica—degrading the very ecosystems it depends on, and what can be done about it? The sessions ended on a hopeful note that analysis, debate and collaboration would lead to real action.

To the Beach

A glimpse of Jamaica’s degraded reefs. Photo credit: WRI

Our last stop, of course, was the beach. At first glance, it was a tropical paradise. The sun was shining, the palm trees waved in the breeze, and the Caribbean Sea was warm and relaxing. However, all was not well under the sea surface: the corals we saw were small and some were diseased, algae was widespread, and fish (save for the invasive carnivorous lionfish) were few. Later that evening, we sampled the lionfish at a local market—contributing to the Jamaican government’s plan to encourage citizens to “eat it to beat it”—and found it quite tasty.

The fates of Jamaica’s economy and of its natural environment are closely intertwined. Although the view under the water was sobering, we came home energized and cautiously optimistic. The enthusiastic participation and healthy debates at our two events in Kingston gave us reason for hope, and reassured us that meaningful change—driven by well-intentioned and better informed individuals from all sectors of Jamaican society—is indeed possible.

WRI produced Coastal Capital: Jamaica in collaboration with UWI’s Marine Geology Unit, the Mona GeoInformatics Institute, The Nature Conservancy and Texas A&M University, with generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. For a summary and the full technical reports, including the valuation methodology, please visit www.wri.org/coastal-capital.

PRESS RELEASE: New Analysis: Coral Reefs Provide Great Value to Jamaica's Economy

Michael Oko — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:04:03 -0400

Coral reefs provide significant value to the Jamaican economy, including tourism, fisheries and shoreline protection, according to new analysis released today. The study finds that reef-related fisheries contribute $34.3 million (USD) annually to Jamaica’s economy. The study also revealed that beach erosion due to the loss of coral reefs could result in $23 million (USD) in lost tourism revenue per year. The analysis, entitled Coastal Capital: Jamaica was carried out by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Marine Geology Unit (MGU), the Mona GeoInformatics Institute (MGI), and the Nature Conservancy (TNC).

“Reefs are not only a source of wonder, they offer great value to Jamaica’s economy,” said Lt. Commander Richard Russell, Chief Executive Officer of the Fisheries Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. “Jamaica is world famous for its beautiful sand beaches, and protecting reefs is critical to ensure that Jamaica maintains its status as a top tier destination.”

The analysis looked at tourism, fisheries, and shoreline protection, which represent just three of the many culturally and economically important services reef ecosystems provide in Jamaica. Even without a complete valuation of the other ecosystem services, the country’s coral reefs are clearly valuable. The analysis also found that:

The loss of beach width due to coral reef degradation could reduce tourists by 9,000 - 18,000 visitors annually;
Reef-related fisheries support between 15,000 - 20,000 fishermen, and contribute directly and indirectly to the livelihoods of more than 100,000 people island-wide; and
If further reef degradation occurs, beach erosion rates could increase by more than 50 percent in Montego Bay, 70 percent in Ocho Rios, and 100 percent in Negril over a 10-year period.

“For the first time, we have modeled the link between reef degradation and beach erosion to assess the economic impacts on tourism,” said Benjamin Kushner, Research Analyst at WRI and one of the authors. “Our findings clearly demonstrate how Jamaica’s coastal tourism is tied to the health of its coral reefs.”

According to Reefs at Risk Revisited, a report released by WRI earlier this year, all of Jamaica’s coral reefs are currently under threat, with more than 60 percent in the high to very high categories. The leading threats include overfishing and bad fishing, which threaten all of Jamaica’s reefs; watershed-based pollution and coastal development, which threaten nearly 60 percent of the country’s reefs; and marine-based pollution, which threatens more than 30 percent of its reefs. In addition to these local pressures, global threats, such as climate change and ocean acidification, pose significant challenges to reefs in Jamaica and around the globe.

“Coral reefs provide critical habitat for Jamaica’s fisheries that support thousands of fishermen and provide a range of employment opportunities to many others across the island,” said Richard Waite, Research Analyst at WRI and a lead author of Coastal Capital: Jamaica. “Further loss of Jamaica’s reefs could potentially lead to the loss of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in annual revenue.”

“In order to turn back the threats to Jamaica’s reefs, we need greater investment to maintain coral reef health and enhance reef-related benefits— and to prevent future losses,” said Ainsley Henry, Acting Director of the Applications Management Division, National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA). “This important investment would go beyond reefs, adding revenue, creating jobs, and strengthening Jamaica’s economy for generations to come.”

For the summary paper and full technical reports, including the valuation methodology, go to: www.wri.org/coastal-capital.

# # # #

Contact:
Michael Oko, WRI (Washington, D.C.)
E: moko@wri.org; Tel: (202) 729-7684

Cecil Thoms, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries (Jamaica)
E: cethoms@moa.gov.jm; Tel: (876) 927-1872

PRESS RELEASE: Vote Now “Active Cities, Healthy Cities!” Online Contest

Michael Oko — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:13:08 -0400

Online contest raises awareness about the public health benefits of sustainable urban development and transport in Latin America and Caribbean.

A new online competition, “Active Cities, Healthy Cities”, was launched today to raise awareness of cities in Latin America and the Caribbean dedicated to sustainable transport, the environment, and creating a healthy lifestyle for their citizens. The contest is being led by EMBARQ, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“We invite city officials to nominate projects that lead to safer streets, cleaner air, reduced carbon emissions, physically active citizens, and greater social inclusion,” said EMBARQ’s Latin America Strategic Director Luis Gutierrez. “This is a chance to show the world how mass transit, cycling, walking and vibrant public spaces can improve public health.”

The contest aims to raise awareness and engage urban communities, leaders and decision-makers about the impact of urban transport and development on public health. This year marks the fourth edition of the contest, which was created by PAHO and CDC in 2002. The contest has been supported by EMBARQ – The WRI Center for Sustainable Transport since 2007, with coordination by EMBARQ’s Center for Sustainable Transport in Mexico (CTS-México) and Center for Sustainable Transport in Brazil (CTS-Brasil).

“We are pleased to see the launch of Active Cities, Healthy Cities online,” said Dr. Becky Lankenau, Director of the CDC/World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Physical Activity and Health. “It is important to recognize innovative efforts by urban communities in urban transport and development.”

Any city official representing a municipality, local government or associated agency can sign up for an account on the tri-lingual website—displayed in English, Portuguese and Spanish—and nominate projects that relate to one of four main categories: 1) Sustainable Transport and Air Quality; 2) Public Space, Security and Civic Culture; 3) Physical Activity and Recreation; and 4) Road Safety. Users will have the chance to include written details about their project, plus upload related photos and videos.

Once a project is submitted, it will be open to online public voting, which will occur in three rounds, ending in August. Projects can be shared online through social media, including Facebook and Twitter. The projects that receive the most votes in each category at the end of each round will automatically be identified as finalists and reviewed by a panel of expert judges from the fields of urban and transport planning and public health.

“For the first time, we’re bringing this contest online to allow as many people as possible to participate,” said Enrique Jacoby, Regional Advisor on Healthy Eating and Active Living at PAHO. “We encourage everyone to vote for their favorite projects and share them with friends and fellow citizens, especially through social media. While viruses are usually dangerous in the public health community, we definitely want this contest to ‘go viral.’”

The four winners (one for each category) will be honored at an awards ceremony and be given opportunities to receive international media exposure, including a professionally produced video documentary about their project. The eight honorable mentions (two for each category) will also be exposed to international and local press, promoted on the Internet through online social media, and shared with other cities as a best practice of healthy, active living.

Winners will be announced on October 3-5 at the International Sustainable Transportation Congress, organized by EMBARQ’s Center for Sustainable Transport in Mexico (CTS-México) in Mexico City.

For more information, visit www.concursocacs.com, or follow the contest on Twitter: @concursocacs.

# # # #

The World Resources Institute (www.wri.org) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people’s lives.

EMBARQ - The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport (www.embarq.org) catalyzes environmentally and financially sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities.

The Pan American Health Organization (www.paho.org) serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. It works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their peoples.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) is the U.S.’s premier public health agency. CDC’s Mission is to collaborate to create the expertise, information and tools that people and communities need to protect their health- through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.

PRESS RELEASE: 75% of World’s Coral Reefs Currently Under Threat, New Analysis Finds

Michael Oko — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:55:53 -0500

“Reefs at Risk Revisited” report presents comprehensive analysis of threats to coral reefs

A new comprehensive analysis finds that 75 percent of the world’s coral reefs are currently threatened by local and global pressures. For the first time, the analysis includes threats from climate change, including warming seas and rising ocean acidification. The report shows that local pressures— such as overfishing, coastal development, and pollution— pose the most immediate and direct risks, threatening more than 60 percent of coral reefs today.

“Reefs at Risk Revisited,” the most detailed assessment of threats to coral reefs ever undertaken, is being released by the World Resources Institute with the Nature Conservancy, the WorldFish Center, the International Coral Reef Action Network, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, and the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Center, along with a network of more than 25 organizations. Launch activities are taking place in Washington, D.C., London, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Caribbean, Australia, and other locations around the world.

“This report serves as a wake-up call for policy-makers, business leaders, ocean managers, and others about the urgent need for greater protection for coral reefs,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “As the report makes clear, local and global threats, including climate change, are already having significant impacts on coral reefs, putting the future of these beautiful and valuable ecosystems at risk.”

Local pressures – especially overfishing and destructive fishing – are causing many reefs to be degraded. Global pressures are leading to coral bleaching from rising sea temperatures and increasing ocean acidification from carbon dioxide pollution. According to the new analysis, if left unchecked, more than 90 percent of reefs will be threatened by 2030 and nearly all reefs will be at risk by 2050.

“Coral reefs are valuable resources for millions of people worldwide. Despite the dire situation for many reefs, there is reason for hope,” said Lauretta Burke, senior associate at WRI and a lead author of the report. “Reefs are resilient, and by reducing the local pressures we can buy time as we find global solutions to preserve reefs for future generations.”

The report includes multiple recommendations to better protect and manage reefs, including through marine protected areas. The analysis shows that more than one-quarter of reefs are already encompassed in a range of parks and reserves, more than any other marine habitat. However, only six percent of reefs are in protected areas that are effectively managed.

“Well managed marine protected areas are one of the best tools to safeguard reefs,” said Mark Spalding, senior marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy and a lead author of the report. “At their core, reefs are about people as well as nature: ensuring stable food supplies, promoting recovery from coral bleaching, and acting as a magnet for tourist dollars. We need apply the knowledge we have to shore up existing protected areas, as well as to designate new sites where threats are highest, such as the populous hearts of the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Middle East.”

Reefs offer multiple benefits to people and the economy – providing food, sustaining livelihoods, supporting tourism, protecting coasts, and even helping to prevent disease. According the report, more than 275 million people live in the direct vicinity (30 km/18 miles) of coral reefs. In more than 100 countries and territories, coral reefs protect 150,000 km (over 93,000 miles) of shorelines, helping defend coastal communities and infrastructure against storms and erosion.

For the first time, the report identifies the 27 nations most socially and economically vulnerable to coral reef degradation and loss. Among these, the nine most vulnerable countries are: Haiti, Grenada, Philippines, Comoros, Vanuatu, Tanzania, Kiribati, Fiji, and Indonesia.

“The people at greatest risk are those who depend heavily on threatened reefs, and who have limited capacity to adapt to the loss of the valuable resources and services reefs provide,” said Allison Perry, project scientist at the WorldFish Center and a lead author. “For highly vulnerable nations – including many island nations – there is a pressing need for development efforts to reduce dependence on reefs and build adaptive capacity, in addition to protecting reefs from threats.”

The report is an update of “Reefs at Risk,” released by WRI in 1998, which served as an important resource for policymakers to understand and address the threats of reefs. The new report uses the latest data and satellite information to map coral reefs— including a reef map with a resolution 64 times higher than the original report.

“Through new technology and improved data, this study provides valuable tools and information for decision makers from national leaders to local marine managers,” said Katie Reytar, research associate at WRI and a lead author. “In order to maximize the benefits of these tools, we need policymakers to commit to greater action to address the growing threats to coral reefs.”

Find out more at: www.wri.org/reefs

# # # #

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. (www.wri.org)

The Nature Conservancy(TNC) is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than one million members have protected more than 480,000 sq km of land and engage in more than100 marine conservation projects. The Conservancy is actively working on coral reef conservation in 24 countries, including the Caribbean and the Coral Triangle. (www.nature.org)

WorldFish Center is an international, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger by improving fisheries and aquaculture. Working in partnership with a wide range of agencies and research institutions, WorldFish carries out research to improve small-scale fisheries and aquaculture. Its work on coral reefs includes ReefBase, the global information system on coral reefs. (www.worldfishcenter.org)

International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) is a global network of coral reef science and conservation organizations working together and with local stakeholders to improve the management of coral reef ecosystems. ICRAN facilitates the exchange and replication of good practices in coral reef management throughout the world’s major coral reef regions. (www.icran.org)

United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is an internationally recognized center for the synthesis, analysis, and dissemination of global biodiversity knowledge. UNEP-WCMC provides authoritative, strategic, and timely information on critical marine and coastal habitats for conventions, countries, organizations, and companies to use in the development and implementation of their policies and decisions. (www.unep-wcmc.org)

Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) is an operational unit of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) charged with coordinating research and monitoring of coral reefs. The network, with many partners, reports on ecological and socioeconomic monitoring and produces Status of Coral Reefs of the World reports covering more than 80 countries and states. (www.gcrmn.org)

Reefs at Risk in the Atlantic/Caribbean

Maggie Barron — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:07:01 -0500

More than 75 percent of the coral reefs in the Atlantic region are at risk from local threats (i.e., coastal development, overfishing/destructive fishing, marine-based pollution, and/or watershed-based pollution), with over 30 percent in the high and very high threat categories. The least-threatened reefs are almost entirely in areas remote from large land areas, such as the Bahamas, the southern Gulf of Mexico, and the oceanic reefs of Honduras and Nicaragua. The insular Caribbean is particularly threatened: from Jamaica through to the Lesser Antilles, more than 90 percent of all reefs are threatened, with nearly 70 percent classified as high or very high threat.

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View reefs at risk in Brazil
View global map of threats to coral reefs

Coastal Capital: Economic Valuation of Coastal Ecosystems in the Caribbean

Katie Reytar — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:22:56 -0400

New! Working Paper: Influence of Coastal Economic Valuations in the Caribbean: Enabling Conditions and Lessons Learned

The Coastal Capital series was launched in 2005 and aims to provide decision-makers in the Caribbean with information and tools that link the health of coastal ecosystems with the attainment of economic and social goals. WRI and its local partners have conducted economic valuation studies of coral reefs and mangroves at national and subnational levels in five countries: Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Belize, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. We are using the results to identify and build support for policies that help to ensure healthy coastal ecosystems and sustainable economies.

Building on these studies, WRI is now working with a broad partnership to develop a standardized framework for coastal ecosystem valuation in the Caribbean. This framework will be a guide to conducting coastal valuations using best practices, yielding comparable and credible valuation results that should be more likely to influence policy-making and improve the conservation and management of coastal ecosystems.

Economic Valuations by Country

Click to learn more about our methodology and tools for implementation.

Coastal Capital: Economic Valuation of Coral Reefs in the Dominican Republic

Maggie Barron — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:33:20 -0400

Executive Summary

Coastal and marine ecosystems provide many valuable services to the people and economy of the Dominican Republic. At first glance, these benefits can be difficult to see. Reefs and mangroves help to build beaches and slow erosion, draw local and international tourists to the coast, and provide habitat for valuable recreational commercial fish. Unfortunately, these services are often overlooked in key development and policy decisions. As a result, coastal ecosystems are threatened by unsustainable coastal development, pollution, overfishing, and other local and global pressures.

One of the key barriers to better decision-making is lack of information and understanding of the scope and value of benefits provided by these ecosystems. Little work has been done on this topic in the Dominican Republic, and data gaps make it difficult to assess the economic impact of ecosystem services provided by coral reefs at the national level.

The studies presented here look at a small sample of the benefits that coastal ecosystems provide to the Dominican Republic. These ecosystems (a) protect white sand beaches in vital tourism areas; (b) provide habitat for commercial fisheries; (c) provide the engine for potential tourism growth in a small marine protected area; and (d) generate local tourism dollars in the southwestern part of the country. The studies highlight the contribution of coastal ecosystems to the economy and the need for greater investment in protecting coastal and marine ecosystems, including better management of marine fisheries, protection of existing reserves, and enforcement of coastal development guidelines.

1. Coralline beaches

The first two studies in this paper look at the importance of coralline beaches in the Dominican Republic. The first study makes the case for the economic importance of beaches by assessing the losses that could ensue from continuing beach erosion. The second study argues that coral reefs play an important role in reducing wave energy and thus protecting coastal beaches from erosion. Together, these studies make the case for investing in protection of beaches in the Dominican Republic, including renewed efforts to protect coral reefs.

Potential economic impacts of beach erosion. This study assesses potential losses to the hotel industry alone if beach erosion continues at the current pace. We use a hedonic price technique to estimate the relationship between the price of a hotel room and the width of the beach (perpendicular to the shoreline) in front of the resort. Our results suggest that current rates of beach erosion would result in revenue losses to the resorts of $52–$100 million over the next 10 years.

Modeling the potential impacts of coral reef decline on beach erosion. In their natural state, beaches are in a dynamic equilibrium between the sources that supply their sand and the forces that erode it. Corals and other organisms that inhabit coral reefs supply sand to adjacent beaches and control the rates of beach erosion by reducing the energy of incoming waves. The Dominican Republic has suffered from increased rates of beach erosion in recent years. This study uses an Excel-based model to examine the role of coral reefs in reducing wave energy and to estimate the potential increase in beach erosion that could result from further degradation of the reefs. We find that 10 years after the disappearance of live corals, erosion rates could increase by more than 100 percent on eastern beaches and by more than 65 percent in the south.

Slowing the pace of beach erosion in the Dominican Republic will require protecting the ecosystems that help to protect the coastline, including coral reefs, mangroves, and sand dunes. Regulations for coastal development should be strengthened and enforced, including limiting construction in sensitive areas. The protection of coral reefs will require curbing overfishing, reducing pollution (both from the hotel industry and from agricultural runoff), and reducing deforestation.

2. Marine fisheries

Marine fisheries in the Dominican Republic support an estimated 9,000 fishermen. It is a small-scale industry, with 99 percent of landings sold domestically. In this study, we identify the major commercial species in the Dominican Republic that depend on mangroves or coral reefs at some point in their life cycle, and examine the changes in landings and associated revenues for these groups over the past few decades. Using FAO landing data for three periods (1982–86, 1992–96, and 2002–06), we find that landings for many key commercial species—including spiny lobster, king mackerel, southern red snapper, and yellowtail snapper—grew significantly between the first two periods and then dropped sharply in the third, with recent landings for most species falling well below levels during the 1980s. This pattern typically suggests that fish populations have been overexploited, and unless steps are taken to protect remaining stocks, fisheries will continue to decline. For local fishermen, gross income from reef-dependent fisheries has decreased by nearly 60 percent over the past decade.

These results demonstrate that the protection of coral reefs and mangroves is vital to the welfare of the fishing communities that depend on these resources for their livelihoods. It is essential for the Dominican Republic to improve its capacity to enforce regulations protecting mangroves and fisheries (Silva 2003). Existing regulations include Decree 303 of 1987, which bans activities that destroy mangroves, and Law 307 of 2004, which regulates fishing and aquaculture.

3. The potential for dive tourism in La Caleta National Marine Park

La Caleta National Marine Park is located 15 miles from Santo Domingo and just two miles from the airport. Due to its healthy reefs and multiple shipwrecks, the park has become a popular SCUBA diving site for people living in the city. The area around the park is also important for fishing, traditionally providing a source of food and income for people living in the town of La Caleta and its vicinity. In recent years, the park has suffered from overfishing, threatening the livelihoods of local fishermen. In response, the fishermen have begun exploring the potential for the tourism industry, and are working to establish an aquatic center to offer recreational activities in the park. This study assesses the willingness to pay (WTP) of dive tourists for a dive trip in the park. We find that the revenue maximizing fee would be $53 per two-dive trip for local visitors and $59 per two-dive trip for international visitors. Assuming a gradual increase in visitation, we estimate that fishermen could earn 90 percent of their current income over the short term through dive tourism alone.

Additional income from snorkeling, kayaking, and other business opportunities associated with the reserve should enable fishermen to earn more from tourism than from fishing over the coming years.

4. Economic benefits of the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve

The three national parks that make up the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Dominican Republic provide habitat for many rare and threatened plant and animal species. In Parque Jaragua, the beach at Bahía de las Águilas is considered one of the most beautiful and best preserved beaches in the country. Each year, the reserve receives over 24,000 visitors, mostly Dominican citizens. Visitors travel to the reserve by land from all over the country, stopping at different locations along the way to purchase gasoline and food. These travel expenses provide important economic benefits to the small communities on the way to the reserve. Visitors spend approximately $523,000 during stopovers between their cities of origin and the reserve, and $511,000 in lodging (hotel rooms and food) each year. Visitors pay an additional $136,000 in park fees, which help cover the management activities of the reserve.

Areas in and around the reserve in the southwest, however, are currently being considered for mining and mass-tourism developments that could have significant impacts on the ecologically fragile areas in the reserve (ACRD 2004). If this area follows the established tourism-development model, which focuses on attracting foreign visitors, it is likely that its value as a center for recreation and enjoyment for Dominicans will be diminished, impacting the economic benefits for towns in the surrounding areas as well as the ecological value of the park itself. Maintaining the region’s low-intensity, ecologically friendly tourism model and discouraging large-scale, intensive tourism and mining in and around the reserve would be a benefit to the Dominican people and the nation’s biodiversity.

Conclusion

These studies provide insight into the value of some of the key ecosystem services provided by coastal ecosystems in the Dominican Republic. We examined the value of coralline beaches, reef- and mangrove-dependent fisheries, and ecotourism. This is a critical first step in a country where ecosystem services are typically given very little consideration in decision-making, both in the public and the private sector. Some of the main findings include:

Current rates of beach erosion could result in revenue losses of $52–$100 million over the next 10 years to the hotel industry alone.
If corals continue to die off, beach erosion—and thus tourism revenue loss—will be exacerbated. Ten years after the disappearance of live corals, erosion rates could increase by more than 100 percent on eastern beaches and by more than 65 percent in the south.
Countrywide, gross income from reef-dependent fisheries has decreased by nearly 60 percent over the past decade—from over $41 million to under $17 million—almost certainly as a result of overfishing.
Overfishing is also threatening fish populations in La Caleta Marine Park. However, tourists in the park are willing to pay about $60 for a two-dive trip. At this price, fishermen in the park could earn nearly as much in the short term if they become dive tourism operators, and more in the longer term as tourist activities expand—solving the overfishing problem and benefiting fishermen at the same time.
Dominican tourists spend over $1 million yearly in roadside communities while traveling to the biosphere reserve in the southwest.

Protecting coastal ecosystems will provide the longest-term, most cost-effective solution to problems of beach erosion, while also sustaining fisheries, improving biodiversity, and enhancing other ecosystem services. It is in the long-term economic interest of the Dominican Republic to:

Strengthen and enforce coastal development regulations, including those protecting mangroves.
Enforce fisheries regulations and reduce overfishing pressure.
Curb pollution—both from the hotel industry and from agricultural runoff—and deforestation.
Protect and restore sand dunes and their native vegetation.
Increase public awareness about marine and coastal ecosystems, the benefits they provide to society, and threats to their existence.

Protecting Coral Reefs: A Q&A With WRI's Lauretta Burke

Polly Ghazi — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:56:00 -0500

Lauretta Burke explains why President Bush’s recent designation of 195,000 square miles of coral rich marine habitat in the Pacific Ocean is important to global reef conservation efforts.

Lauretta, who leads WRI’s Reefs at Risk project, also discusses her team’s work on the Reefs at Risk project, as well as how the economic valuation of coral reefs can be used to make the case for conservation to policymakers.

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LAURETTA BURKE: It’s a very positive action. We’re very pleased with this designation. It’s a large area, and when you protect large marine areas you stand a better chance of success. And the areas that they have selected in the Pacific include some very pristine marine areas. So there is a very good chance of reducing future threats from overfishing pressure on these reefs.

GHAZI: What are the major threats that face the world’s coral reefs and what more needs to be done to protect them?

BURKE: There’s a wide variety of threats affecting coral reefs, some local in nature and some global. Of the local threats, one of the most pervasive is overfishing pressure which can be reduced by this sort of Monument Status and by restrictions on commercial fishing within these reserves. Some other local threats include coastal development and runoff from the land, also runoff from excessive fertilizer application, and in some areas, tourism impacts. The global threats are obviously more difficult to deal with. As we emit more greenhouse gasses we’re getting warmer seas. We’re also getting acidifying seas. So it’s important that there are actions to reduce the rate of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2. But a combination of local action and global action is needed because, as reefs face increasing pressure from these global threats, one thing we can do is reduce the local threats, thereby giving them a better chance to recover after an event like coral bleaching.

Integrated Threat: The Reefs at Risk Threat Index

GHAZI: So how and where is the World Resources Institute contributing to reef conservation efforts, and are we concentrating more on the local than the global solutions?

BURKE: Certainly in the past we’ve focused more on local solutions; now we’re including consideration of these global threats. The original global Reefs at Risk Analysis, which is a map-based indicator of threats to the world’s reefs, focused on local threats and developed a set of indicators to show the relative pressure from human activities across the world’s reefs. The project series began 10 years ago, and last year we began a new project called “Reefs at Risk Revisited” which involves a high resolution update of this global threat analysis which will now include global threats. We are looking specifically at warming seas, and ocean acidification out to the year 2050.

It’s a fairly comprehensive study in that it integrates information on human pressure on coral reefs, the climate related threats, current status and management of reefs and policy recommendations. So it’s a very useful body of information for priority setting. It’s done in a geographic information system so these spatial data sets can be used by both regional and national organizations to do priority setting within their countries.

GHAZI: Who do you expect to use this information?

BURKE: A wide variety of users. One of the main users is coastal planning organizations and conservation organizations that are working on coral reefs. So these tools very much help with priority setting within the region, or within countries. They also help governments and MPA managers looking at different threats within different areas to guide prioritization. We also target tourism agencies. We like to show how much revenue is contributed through coral reef associated tourism, and we think this will help raise awareness within the tourism industry of the importance of maintaining healthy reefs.

GHAZI: The economic valuation of reefs is an innovative area that WRI is getting into, so could you explain a little more?

BURKE: Economic valuation involves putting a dollar value on the goods and services provided by coral reefs. Very often dollar values speak to policymakers and businesses in a way that other conservation arguments can’t. The economic valuation helps to highlight how these groups are currently benefiting from a healthy reef ecosystem and what they stand to lose if a reef continues to decline. So in the case of tourism, we raise awareness about the large values that are often coming into countries and also the taxes that governments receive because of tourists visiting the country. We also look at the contribution of reef-associated fisheries to the economy and the shoreline protection services provided by reefs. And that’s a very important and very high-value service.

GHAZI: So what countries are you doing economic valuation in, and are there any examples of how policymakers have used the information that you’ve given them.

Belize: Shoreline Protection from Coral Reefs

BURKE: Yes. Our country level work on economic valuation of coral reefs began in the eastern Caribbean in Tobago and St. Lucia. We’re just finishing a project in Belize looking at the economic value of coral reefs and mangroves. And we’ve now begun work in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. In Tobago for example, we looked at the country as a whole, but also at the value of coral reefs in the Buccoo Reef Marine Park, which at present is a bit of a paper park - although it’s designated, there isn’t particularly active management enforcement of fishing regulations, and there’s not good control of land-based sources of pollution entering the Buccoo Reef area. So we looked at the economic contribution of tourists to that area and compared it with the cost of interventions to improve water quality and coral reef health in that area. And that was a case where it’s clear that some modifications that would radically improve water quality and thereby help reef health were certainly sensible investments in the long-term interest of the island of Tobago.

GHAZI: So are you optimistic then about the future survival of the world’s coral reefs in the long term?

BURKE: I’m confident that reefs will survive long term, but I think there will be a smaller area of coral reefs a century from now than there is today. One of the things that’s very important as we pull together information on threats and on warming seas and acidifying seas, is to identify the areas with the best prospect of staying healthy in the long run, and really protect those areas. And I think this designation of protected area in the Pacific by President Bush will help to that end.

Belize’s Reefs and Mangroves Tagged with High Economic Value

Paul Mackie — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Three key services provided by coral reefs and mangroves in Belize are worth an estimated US$395 million to US$559 million per year, according to a report released today by the World Resources Institute and the World Wildlife Fund.

Annual Economic Contribution of Coral Reefs and Mangroves in Belize”Putting a dollar value on the goods and services provided by reefs and mangroves helps to translate them into a language that everyone speaks,” said Lauretta Burke, a senior associate at WRI. “Hopefully, these findings will contribute to well-informed decisions regarding the management of these critical resources.”

The report, Coastal Capital: Belize, estimates the annual economic value of coral reef- and mangrove-associated tourism in Belize at between US$150 million and US$196 million, accounting for between 12 and 15 percent of the Caribbean nation’s GDP. Benefits from reef- and mangrove-dependent fisheries contribute a further US$14 million to US$16 million to the economy.

Reefs and mangroves also protect coastal properties from erosion and wave-induced damage. WRI estimates that Belize’s coral reefs provide an estimated US$120 million to US$180 million in avoided damages per year. Mangroves protect the coastline from both waves and storm surge, providing an additional US$111 million to US$167 million in protection annually.

Despite growing recognition of the economic importance of coastal resources, reefs and mangroves face growing threats from unchecked coastal development, over-fishing, and pressures from tourism. Climate-related changes such as warming seas and fiercer storms will compound these impacts in the future.

“The goods and services offered by coral reefs and mangroves are frequently overlooked or underappreciated in coastal investment and policy decisions,” said Emily Cooper, a research associate at WRI and lead author of the study. “The amount currently invested in protecting Belize’s coral reefs and mangroves is very small when compared to the contribution of these resources to the national economy.”

Belize’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) system is widely hailed as an example of forward-thinking in marine conservation. Consisting of 18 protected areas managed primarily by the country’s fisheries and forestry departments in collaboration with local NGOs, the MPAs are an important draw for divers, snorkelers and sport fishermen, and contain no-fishing areas that help to maintain stocks of key commercial species. The system, however, is under-funded, and staff, fuel, and equipment limitations make it difficult to curb illegal fishing and monitor visitation in most of the reserves.

“Belize’s reefs and mangroves offer crucial socio-economic benefits but are already threatened by overuse, degradation and fragmentation. Climate change will undoubtedly compound these through increased frequency of impacts from mass bleaching and storm occurrences, as well as coastal erosion and sedimentation,” said Nadia Bood, Mesoamerican reef scientist and climate change officer for WWF Central America. “This makes urgent the need to act now to alleviate human threats and increase the resilience potential of these very important ecosystems.”

WRI’s Coastal Capital project receives key financial support from the Oak Foundation, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SwedBio, the Campbell Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. The full report can be accessed on WRI’s website at http://www.wri.org/publication/coastal-capital-belize .