Nature-based solutions for coasts and oceans

The effectiveness of ecosystems in mitigating climate change is not a new discovery. Oceans, forests and soils have been recognised as natural carbon sinks for years. Oceans have a strong potential to absorb greenhouse gases. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) are absorbed by the first few hundred metres of the surface of the seas and oceans, i.e. between a quarter and a third of what is emitted by human activities. 

Nature-based solutions are implemented through activities aiming at the restoration, conservation or sustainable management of ecosystems. In the case of coastal areas and oceans, these include :

• Coastal restoration: flood and erosion control, storm protection, shoreline stabilisation;
• Sea level / under water conservation: protecting breeding and nursery habitats, wild plants and animal resources, leading also to improved carbon sequestration and reduced warming;
• Sustainable use and harvesting: fish and shellfish harvest, human well-being and cultural heritage.

©EU GCCA+

Still, many countries have struggled to set clear targets for nature-based solutions within their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Only a few propose indicators for measuring impacts. Of the states with coastal ecosystems, fewer than one in five include them in their climate change mitigation measures, and many declared marine protected areas do not receive any support. Currently, only 15 % of land and 8 % of marine areas are protected, with differing monitoring requirements and management policies.

Countries benefitting from GCCA+ support to integrated coastal action between 2018 and 2024 include the Dominican Republic, The Gambia, Senegal, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. All intend to make meaningful contributions to the NDCs through activities that mostly a local impact. Most GCCA+ projects promote the integration of local populations in the implementation of nature-based solutions and conservation actions as an effective way to combine conservation and development. This approach is only a first step and governments need to move forward in integrating climate issues and risks in national policies. The Oceans Dialogue launched in December 2020 led to the following recommendations:

• Strengthen the understanding that action for the oceans is action for the climate and that ocean finance is climate finance – and vice versa.
• Increase the ambition that includes ocean action and integrate ocean-based solutions into NDCs, National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and other national processes.
• Hold regular dialogues within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process to continue to strengthen understanding and action on oceans and climate for further progress.

In 2021, the Nairobi Work Programme prepared guidelines on coastal adaptation and nature-based solutions for the implementation of NAPs. It aims at providing advice on accessing finance for the implementation of nature-based coastal and marine solutions to increase resilience to extreme climate events and other changes in climate patterns.

Link:

• EU GCCA+ Review of Climate Issue N°9 : Turning the economy blue