INFOWETLAND

CREHOINFOWETLAND

AUGUST 2017

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SUMMARY

Editorial 03

Training Course on Marine Spatial Planning - CPPS 04

Blue Carbon Workshop

Blue Carbon, Mangroves and Public Policy

Courses; Wetland Management Plans with Climate Change Focus

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Index

Regional Program for Mangrove ConservationIn the Southeast Pacific 08

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EDITORIAL

To our readers:

Welcome to the new edition of InfoWetland August 2017. Keepinga renewed format, we invite you with much enthusiasm to walkthrough the pages of our beloved magazine. We hope that itscontent captures your interest.

In this number we present the initiatives in blue carbon and thecourses that CREHO has given with thematic areas of interest inmangroves, adaptation, and assessment of climate change,including biological assessments and experiences that provide thetools and teachings replicable in the region.

In addition, CREHO publishes the interactive digital information ofInfoWetland, which reiterates the commitment directed to theregion in order to promote, inform, educate, and support theconservation and rational use of our wetlands, with the fullparticipation of human populations , which contribute tostrengthen their capacities.

Finally, InfoWetland offers a space for publishers to promote theirworks and developed initiatives, hoping to encourage them toshare information, thus stimulating the participation of new actorsthat carry out important activities in the management and rationaluse of wetlands in the Americas.

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Training Course on Marine Spatial Planning

CPPS20H PANAMA

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SUMMARY

On July 23rd and 24th, the CREHO Ramsar Center along with CPPS were pleased to hold the Training Course on Marine Spatial Planning. The event was conducted by two international experts:

• Alejandro Iglesias, Physical Geographer. Program Specialist of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO

• Marcia Pérez, GIS Specialist, Ramsar Regional Center, CREHO

The course was directed to a group of mangrove experts (GEM) of the South Pacific Commission (CPPS), with the objective to know the public processes and the distribution of human activities in the marine areas for ecological, economic, and social purposes that have been specified through political processes.

Within the specific objectives addressed in the course, one was to provide participants with basic knowledge on coastal marine areas necessary for a good implementation of marine space management (OEM), accompanied by theoretical concepts from the OEM. Principles of OEM applications were also infused into the participants’ daily activities as stakeholders (public citizens or participating citizens). Another purpose was to empower participants to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of decisions made or to be made in the light of OEM processes.

Skills acquired by participants:- Apply knowledge on OEM concepts in planning processes incoastal areas.- Apply OEM-related methodologies for the formulation ofmanagement plans, zoning of coastal regions, and organization ofinter-institutional coordination schemes.- Apply methods of approach with local actors (Communities andInstitutions) in OEM processes.- Exchange experiences regarding OEM issues.- Formulate and develop projects related to OEM.

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Discussion of issues about public participation processes in marinespatial planning as well as the importance of involving allstakeholders by raising awareness of actions to facilitate theinvolvement of key stakeholders, especially in those sectors thatclosely depend on the regional economy and national system.

Additionally, topics such as the current conditions of the marineenvironment, biological and ecological habitats, oceanography,physical environment, and spatial and temporal distribution ofhuman activities were also addressed, as well as the identification ofconflicts and compatibilities in the area. Available sources with dataand information were provided.

At the end of each day, a practical exercise was proposed, whichconsisted in the preparation of a marine spatial plan that includedtopics such as the management of measures and criteria for theOEM, Space, and components of participation. Lastly, there was aninteractive session among actors.

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Regional Program for Mangrove Conservation in

the Southeast Pacific

Fernando FélixRegional Coordinator of the Plan of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Areas of the Southeast PacificPermanent Commission of the South Pacific Guayaquil, Ecuadorwww.cpps-int.org

Mangroves provide a widerange of benefits thatcontribute to the developmentof coastal communities. Theyare vital to ensure foodsecurity to local populations,they are the habitat of a widerange of biological species, andprovide ecosystem servicessuch as forest products (timberand non-timber), areas forfishing and harvesting, andcarbon storage. In addition,

mangroves are key areasbecause they protect thecoastal strip by preventing andmitigating the effects of coastalerosion and climate change.

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Mangroves are highlyproductive ecosystemslocated in tropical coastalareas and subtropical regions.They are places ofreproduction for a largevariety of fish, mollusks andcrustaceans holding importantfisheries in the countries ofthe region.

Despite the ecological,cultural, social, and economicimportance of mangroves forthe well-being anddevelopment of coastalcommunities, in the lastdecades, countries that havethis type of ecosystem haveexperienced an accelerateddecrease in mangrove surfaceand ecosystem deteriorationas a result of different humanactivities, including urbandevelopment, aquaculture,dredging, pollution, and so on.These practices threaten thelong-term provision ofecosystem services thatpeople receive frommangroves.

In November 2015, theMeeting of the Parties to theLima Conventioncommissioned theimplementation of theRegional Environmental Planfor Mangroves (PAR-Mangrove) to the PermanentCommission of the SouthPacific (CPPS), ExecutiveSecretary of the Plan of Actionfor the Protection of theMarine Environment andCoastal Areas of the SoutheastPacific. Chile, Colombia,Ecuador, Panama and Peruadopted the Regional ActionPlan for the Conservation ofMangroves in the SoutheastPacific (PAR-Mangroves), aninitiative to which Costa Ricahas also doubled.

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The general objective of PAR-Mangroves is to helpparticipating Governmentsstrengthen policies andprograms for the protection,recovery and sustainable useof mangroves in the region.

In order to implement andfollow-up the PAR-mangroves,the Mangrove Specialists Group(GEM) was created in December2016, composed of specialistsfrom the region of recognizedcapacity and experience inmatters related to theconservation and managementof coastal mangroves andwetlands. The GEM aims toprovide technical and scientificassistance to the ExecutiveSecretariat of the SoutheastPacific Action Plan for theimplementation of measuresand monitoring of theMangrove RAP, based on thebest scientific informationavailable, taking into accountenvironmental, socioeconomicand environmentalcharacteristics of theparticipating countries.

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The Plan seeks to provide anappropriate framework for theimplementation of regionalcooperation activities based onrespect for the sovereignty andpriorities of participatingGovernments in order to ensurethe long-term flow ofenvironmental services,protection, recovery and Thesustainable use of mangroves.PAR-Mangroves includes sevencomponents: 1) updating legaland economic policies andinstruments; 2) support forresearch and monitoring; (3)measures for the protection ofmangroves; 4) promotion ofsustainable use and productivealternatives; (5) support for therecovery and restoration ofmangroves; 6) promotion ofenvironmental education andcommunication; and 7)management for resourcemobilization.

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The financing of the activities contemplated in the PAR-Mangrovesis one of the biggest challenges. To a large extent, this financingmust come from the countries themselves through theircompetent national agencies, as well as the management that canbe carried out by the GEM, the CPPS or other key partners. In thatsense, the GEF / WWF / CI GEF Mangrove Project "ImprovingMangrove Conservation in the Tropical Pacific (ETPS) through thedevelopment and implementation of a coordinated strategy at thenational and regional levels", designed to be implemented in Theregion between September 2016 and September 2018 will be oneof the main sources of funding for the PAR-Mangroves.________________________

BLUE

FOREST

Blue Forests Cross-Training Workshop was held in Panama City from23 to 27 January 2017. This initiative is part of the GEF (GlobalEnviroment Facility) implemented by UN Environment andexecuted by GRID Arendal. This global initiative was aimed atexploring the value of blue carbon and related ecosystem serviceswith project sites in Madagascar, Indonesia, Ecuador, Mozambique,the United Arab Emirates, Kenya and Central America. The projectaddresses major gaps in the knowledge of the capture and storageof blue carbon by marine and coastal ecosystems, such asmangroves, seagrass and marshes, and provides tools for globalcapture of project results.

The United Nations Environment Program supports Member Statesto strengthen natural resource management and provide anintegrated approach that emphasizes the value of biodiversity andecosystems for productive sectors and their linkage with humanwell-being.

January 23 - 27, 2017

Cross –Training Workshop

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The Ramsar Regional Centerfor the Western Hemisphere(CREHO) who took an activepart in this project; Workswith partners and countries tostrengthen regional networks,build partnerships andcooperation agreements withmany institutions andorganizations in the WesternHemisphere, and conductcourses and workshops thatrespond to specific trainingneeds, including challengesrelated to climate change.

Justification

As we know, these "BlueForests" - mangroves, seagrassand saline - capture and storecarbon through their systemand soil. However, when theyare degraded or destroyed,carbon that has been stored forcenturies is emitted into theatmosphere, becoming a sourceof greenhouse gases. It isestimated that 1,020 milliontons of carbon dioxide arereleased annually fromdegraded blue forests.

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Blue forests are complexsystems that providenumerous ecosystemservices, such as coastalprotection against floodsand storms, support forcoastal water quality, andhealthy fisheries.

The organization of thisworkshop in the regionsought to educate aboutthese ecosystems and theservices they provide sothat their value can beintegrated intodevelopment planning andprotection policies.

Objectives

The workshop aimed to help develop a more mature approach toblue carbon / blue forests projects in the region, create synergiesbetween ongoing projects, and improve the exchange of goodpractices in the region. The workshop examined the application ofblue carbon science - carbon science and ecosystem services toimprove ecosystem management.___________

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BLUE

CARBON,

MANGROVES

AND PUBLIC

POLITICS

SUMMARY

Coastal development and associated human activities have had negative impacts on coastal ecosystems, such as thereduction of mangrove and seagrass coverage, with the consequential loss of environmental services. One of theseservices, which currently has been recognized due to its importance for mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climatechange, capture and storage of organic carbon in seagrass and mangroves, is known as "Blue Carbon" . A recent researchshows that, per surface area, mangroves and seagrasses store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem, so theirconservation and restoration are recognized as strategies for mitigation and adaptation of the effects of climate change. Inthe particular case of mangroves, Mexico has the opportunity to contribute to these strategies by having an extension ofmangrove that places it in the fourth place worldwide. Although there are estimates of carbon stores in mangroves, thereality is that they are very scarce and there is still no national strategy to determine carbon flows. On the other hand, theconservation and restoration of mangroves constitute a challenge in spite of the protection situation in which they are.There are strategies such as the REDD + program and payment for environmental services, which can be implemented forblue carbon ecosystems. Their implementation is necessary due to the ecological peculiarities of mangroves and seagrass.

Keywords: coastal ecosystems; Seagrass; Ecosystem services.

INTRODUCTION

Chemical elements like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, among others, are stored in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, and constantly move between these using different paths and at a different speed. This interaction of elements between repositories and pathways are known as biogeochemical cycles (Mitsch y Gosselink, 2000).

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In nature, chemical elementsare rarely homogeneouslydistributed in the reservoirs.There are elements that aremore abundant in theatmosphere (nitrogen, oxygen)and others in the lithosphere(phosphorus, sulfur). Inaddition, they can be found inboth their organic andinorganic chemical form. Forexample, carbon is found inpart of organic molecules likecarbohydrates and proteins (inplants and animals), but it isalso present in its inorganicform as carbon dioxide (CO2) orbicarbonate in the atmosphereand hydrosphere, (Ciais et al.,2013).

For nature to functioncorrectly, there is a need for abalance between theabundance of elements in itsreservoirs and the speed inwhich they transfer andtransform when moving froman organic reservoir to aninorganic one and vice versa.

However, humans intentionally,or non-intentionally, havemodified both the reservoirs aswell as the speed at whichthese elements travel. Forexample, humans have usedfertilizers that contain nitrogenand phosphorus to increaseagricultural production, but atthe same time, non-intentionally, they’vecontaminated rivers, lakes andoceans with the rest of thenon-used fertilizer in the fieldthat is pushed by runoff towater bodies.In the case of carbon, thereservoirs in the lithosphere,atmosphere, and hydrosphere,as well as the speed of flow,have been altered by humanactivities such as deforestation,change in the use of soil,burning of fossil fuels, etc. Theresult has been an increase inthe concentration of CO2 in theatmosphere (Figure 1) to theextent that it affects climatecharacteristics (Canadell et al.,2007).

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Figure 1. Biogeochemical carbon cycle and changes due to human activities. (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/CarbonCycle/carbon_cycle4.html)

It is known that one of the major causes of climate change (CC)is the increase in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide(CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrogen oxide (N2O). CC is a problemwith unique characteristics due to its global character; its long-term impact can be observed and it involves complexinteractions not only between natural processes (ecological andclimate phenomenon) but also between social, economic andpolitical processes (IPCC, 2001).The climate regulates all natural processes that social andeconomic development depend on.

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Agriculture, in manyregions, not only dependson the temporality andabundance of rain, but alsothe change of airtemperature. Fishing variesdepending on the speciesbeing captured, becausefish depend on marinecurrents and theircharacteristics, liketemperature and salinity,which are controlled by thetemperature and freshwater brought from thecontinent after it rains. Eventourism depends onclimate. In the summer, thesun and the correcttemperature are requiredfor the beaches. In thewinter, snow is required forskiing. Thus governmentsdevelop policies that favoractivities that generateeconomic resources andwellbeing. However, for a

long time, those policieshave not considered thathuman activities have hadnegative repercussions inthe biogeochemical carboncycle and that they alsohave negative effects on theclimate and on thefunctioning of ecosystems(Canadell et al., 2007;Robbins et al., 2009).

This is a fragment of theinteresting scientific articlethat Jorge Alfredo Herrerasent us and if you areinterested in reading thefull article you can find it onour website:www.creho.org in thepublications section.____________________

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Course:

Wetland Management Plans with Climate Change Focus

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The Ramsar Western Hemisphere Teaching Center (CREHO), inpartnership with Wetlands International Foundation (FWI),delivered a course on Wetland Management Plans with focus onClimate Change in September and October 2016. In addition to thestaff of MiAmbiente and ARAP, technicians and wetland specialistsfrom several Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACs) alsoparticipated, including the Focal Point of the Ramsar Convention ofEl Salvador.

The Wetlands International Foundation (FWI), in partnership withCREHO, in the framework of the IKI-UNDP Project, has also beendeveloping a series of training courses on Adaptation Mitigation andClimate Change for technicians from the Ministry of Environment OfPanama (MiAmbiente) and from the Aquatic Resources Authority ofPanama (ARAP).

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SUMMARY

The course approach of Wetland Management Plans with a focus on Climate Change, revolved on two axes:

(1)To guide the elaboration of Management Plans for continental and coastal wetlands and

(2) To guide the cross-cutting integration of climate change into such plans.

For the development of these two axes, four webinar-type web-based conferences were conducted - through the UNEP REGATTA Platform called "Community of Practice on Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (AbE)" / Module 16-.

In addition, a series of face-to-face sessions were held that took place during five days in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panama. The sessions this week consisted in presentations by facilitators of the course and a series of guests; exchanges of experiences between participants; and tours to nearby protected wetlands and their area of influence / damping in order to make observations and exercises in the field.

As a way of closing the course, the students presented a final paperin which they made a proposal to move forward with the update ofthe San San Pon Sak Wetland Ramsar Site of InternationalImportance (HSSPS). In this proposal, students were able to describethe steps to be taken (i), update the Management Plan by filling ingaps in key information (ii), Integrate the variables related to climatechange into the management plan (iii), and (iv) Prepare it for itsperiodic updating based on an effective mechanism of monitoring,learning, and feedback at multiple scales of work with several actors.These proposals were sent to the Directorate of Protected Areas ofMiAmbiente for consideration as technical recommendations.AbE Community: www.comunidadabe.pnuma

The course "Management Plans for Wetlands with a Climate ChangeApproach", had two modalities, virtual and face-to-face.

The virtual phase of the course was 4 weeks long and was heldduring September 2016.

The method of verification of the progress made by the students intheir knowledge consisted in the following components that wereevaluated:

• Participation with questions and comments during webinars.• Reading controls.• Participation in forums of Virtual Platform of Community of

Practice in AbE.• Use of concepts and tools during exercises.• Final work in face-to-face phase.

During the face-to-facephase that took placeduring the first week ofOctober 2016 in IslaColón - Bocas del Toroarchipelago, Panama –topics were deepened throughkeynote presentations,field trips, exercises and the development of a final work in groups.This final work was aimed at making recommendations tostrengthen the HIISSPS Management Plan._____________

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