12/9/2014

FullEconomicPotentialofCarbonRichMangrovesRemainsUntapped,FindsNewUNReportUNEP

FullEconomicPotentialofCarbonRichMangrovesRemainsUntapped,
FindsNewUNReport
di,dec9,2014

EstimatedWorthofClimateBenefitsfromCentralAfricanMangrovesuptoUS$66billion.
AndNewSatelliteTechnologyCouldHelpMonitorMangroveRestoration.

UNEPestimatestheeconomiccostofthedestructionofcarbonrichmangroves,whicharebeing
cleared35timesfasterthanterrestrialforests,at$42billionineconomicdamagesannually.
Lima,December9,2014Theeconomicandsocialbenefitsofmangroveswhichareestimatedtorunintothe
hundredsofbillionsworldwideremainlargelyuntappedduetoalackofcarbonfinancemechanisms,appropriate
policyinterventions,andrapidmangrovedeforestation,accordingtoanewUnitedNationsEnvironment
Programme(UNEP)reportlaunchedtodayatthe20thConferenceofthePartiesonClimateChange.
TheGuidingPrinciplesforDeliveringCoastalWetlandCarbonProjectsfindsthatthepotentialeconomic,socialand
environmentalgainsfromconservingmangroves?90percentofwhicharefoundindevelopingcountriesand
manyofwhichareunderthreat?includingfrommangroveinclusioninReducingEmissionsfromDeforestations
andforestDegradation(REDD+)strategiesandprotectingandenhancingmangrovestoresofcarbon,stillremain
largelyunderexploited.
UNEPestimatestheeconomiccostofthedestructionofcarbonrichmangroves,whicharebeingcleared3?5
timesfasterthanterrestrialforests,at$42billionineconomicdamagesannually.
Thereportarguesthatwhilepolicymakersandfinancialmarketsarebeginningtotakeaction,moreneedstobe
donetodevelopnewmethodologiesforcarbonaccountingformangrovesandothercoastalwetlandecosystems,to
conservemangroves,andtoincreasetheprofileofmangrovesinREDD+andtheUnitedNationsFramework
ConventiononClimateChange(UNFCCC).
UNUnderSecretaryGeneralandUNEPExecutiveDirectorAchimSteinersaid,"AsthelatestEmissionsGap
Reportmakesclear,countriesareincreasinglyawareofhowmuchprogresstheyneedtomaketolimitaglobal
temperatureriseto2C.Developingcountrieshaveamajorclimatechangemitigationandadaptationassetinthe
formofmangrovesbecausetheyholdseveraltimesmorecarbonthanterrestrialforests."
"Whatisneedednowaretherightcarbonfinancemechanisms,andpolicyinterventions,inordertoreapthetrue
economic,climateandsocialgainsfromthiscriticalecosystem,whichwecannotaffordtolose."hesaid.
"Partoftheanswerliesinensuring,bothnationallyandinternationally,thatmangroveshaveaplaceinREDD+
strategiesandotherlowcarbondevelopmentstrategiessuchasNationalAppropriateMitigationActions(NAMAs),"
heconcluded.
Thereportmakesclearthatthemanagementofcoastalwetlandsisanoregretsapproach,withmanyadditional
ecosystemservicebenefitssuchasfisheriesproductionandshorelineprotection,whichpromoteadaptationin
coastalcommunities.
Anumberofcoastalwetlandscarbonprojectinitiatives?whichincludemangroves?intheirinfancyinmanyparts
oftheworld,includingKenya,Senegal,WestBengal,andSumatraarealreadyshowingindicationsofsuccess.
TheGaziBaycommunityledcarbonfinanceprojectinKenyafortheconservation,managementandrestorationof
117hectaresofmangroveshassofarsoldcertificatesof3000tonnesofcarbondioxide(C02),withfundsbeing
allocatedtocommunityprojectsandadditionalmangroveactivitiesoverseenbyvillageleaders.
Oneofthemanysuccessesoftheprojecthasbeenadramaticreductioninillegalharvestingofmangroves,anditis
hopedthatthesuccessofthecommunitybasedinitiativesinthesecountrieswillpavethewayforotherdeveloping
countriestostartestablishingnewcarbonprojectstoensuresustainableecosystemservicestolocalcommunities.
However,accordingtoanewreportfromUNEP,CarbonPoolsandMultipleBenefitsofMangrovesinCentralAfrica
AssessmentforREDD+,manycountrieswillbeunabletoaccesscarbonincentives,improvedgovernance,jobs,
andarangeofotherbenefitsundertheglobalREDD+programmeunlesstheyincludemangrovesintheirnational
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FullEconomicPotentialofCarbonRichMangrovesRemainsUntapped,FindsNewUNReportUNEP

definitionofforests.
ThereportfindsthatthemangrovesofCentralAfricawhicharefoundinCameroon,Gabon,theRepublicofthe
Congo,EquatorialGuinea,SaoTomeandPrincipe,theDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo,andAngola,couldbe
amongstthemostcarbonrichecosystemsintheworld,withanestimatedreleaseof1,299tonnesofC02per
hectareofclearedpristinemangrove.
Unfortunatelybetween2000and2010itisestimatedthatover100milliontonnesofC02wasreleasedintothe
atmospherewiththeclearinganddegradingof771.07km2ofmangrovesinCentralAfrica,whichnotonly
representsapotentiallysignificanteconomiclossintermsofuncapitalizedcarbonvalues,buthasmanyotherdirect
economicandsocialcosts.
TheeconomiccostsatthetimeoftheresearchincludeUS$11,286perhectareinseawallreplacement,andUS$
7,142perhectareinbenefitsforprotectionofruralinfrastructureagainstshorelineerosion(US$151,948perhectare
forurbanmangroves).
Thesocialcostsmoreoverareevengreaterfortheregion.AscalculatedbytheInteragencyWorkingGroupon
SocialCostofCarbon,fortheyear2015,thelowerendestimateofthesocialcostofcarbonislikelytobeUS$
15,588perhectare,withthehigherestimatescominginatUS$151,983perhectare.
Thismeansthatwith437,300hectaresofmangroves,theclimatebenefitsfromCentralAfricanmangrovescould
reachUS$66billionatupperestimates.
Whilethesearenotvaluesthatcanbecapitalizeduponinamarketplace,theyarevaluesthatarerelevanttothe
globaleconomy,andespeciallyforlocalcommunities.
Fortunately,aseffortstoconserveandrestoremangrovesreceivegreaterattentionworldwide,newsatellite
technologyhasbeentestedandproveneffectiveinthemonitoringofmangroverestoration.Inastudyconductedby
UNEP,MonitoringtheRestorationofMangroveEcosystemsfromSpace,around70percentofprojectsites
assessedshowedpositiverestorationresults,preventingthereleaseofsignificantemissionsofC02intothe
atmosphere.
Combinedwithonthegroundsurveys,thesatelliteremotesensingtechnologycouldhelppolicymakersmonitor,
evaluate,andwherenecessarytakecorrectiveactiontoensuretherestorationandconservationofmangroves
worldwide.
KeyReportTakeaways
GuidingPrinciplesforDeliveringCoastalWetlandCarbonProjects
Coastalwetlandspolicyandmanagementinterventionscanbedeployedinallcoastalsettingstoimprove
reductionsinGreenhouseGas(GHG)emissionsandremovals.
MangrovesandtemperatetidalforestscanbethefocusofREDD+actions,dependinguponnational
definitionofforest.
Theconsequencesofsealevelriseneedtoberecognizedandaccountedforwhenplanningandenacting
coastalwetlandscarboninterventions.
Conservationofexistingintactcoastalwetlandscarbonecosystemsistechnicallythesimplestandmost
effectivemechanismtomanagecarbonstocks,andprovidesthegreatestecosystembenefits.
Thereareonlylimitedexamplesofcoastalwetlandscarbonecosystemrestorationinterventionsthataccount
fullyforGHGandaccesscarbonmarketsforfinance.
Thetechnicalabilitytosuccessfullyrestorecoastalwetlandecosystemstodayisavailableonagloballevel,
evenifitisnotalwaysapplied.
Toachieveasuccessfulintervention,coastalwetlandconservationorrestorationshouldbeplannedwitha
landscaperesponsetoclimatechangeinmind.
Projectsuccessisgreatlyincreasediflocalcommunityengagementandcapacitybuildingpredatesor
accompaniestheintervention.Examplesofgoodpracticeexist.
KeyReportTakeaways
CarbonPoolsandMultipleBenefitsofMangrovesinCentralAfricaAssessmentforREDD+
Explorethepotentialforincludingmangrovesinthenationaldefinitionofforestsforeachofthecountriesin
theregion,inorderforthisecosystemtobeeligibleforinclusioninnationalREDD+strategies.
IncludemangroveregionsandpilotprojectsinnationalREDD+strategies.
Understandandanalyzemangrovespecificdriversofdeforestation.
Developnationalprioritiesformangroveactionintheregionthroughastakeholderengagementprocess
withgovernments,privatesector,civilsociety,andlocalcommunities.
NationalprioritiescanprovidethebasisfordecisionsonactivitiestosupportthroughREDD+strategies.
ImplementthenewlydevelopedIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChangeGHGInventoryguidelineson
wetlandsinordertoincludemangrovesinnationalGreenhouseGasInventoriesandNational
CommunicationstotheUNFCCC.
FormoreInformationpleasecontact:
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FullEconomicPotentialofCarbonRichMangrovesRemainsUntapped,FindsNewUNReportUNEP

ShereenZorba,HeadofNews&Media,shereen.zorba@unep.org(mailto:shereen.zorba@unep.org)+254
788526000
NiamhBrannigan,News&Media,niamh.brannigan@unep.org(mailto:niamh.brannigan@unep.org)+254
717733348
InLima:AlejandroLaguna,RegionalInformationOfficerforLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean,
alex.laguna@unep.org(mailto:alex.laguna@unep.org)+51989025157

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