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THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND

CLIMATE CHANGE IN DEVELOPING

COUNTRIES, WHO WILL BE

OBSERVING?

Kwame Koranteng & Tore Stromme

Fisheries Management and Conservation Service

EAF-Nansen Project

FAO, Rome

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IntroductionWe are told that climate change is still ”young” and

that the big change is yet to come. But we can use the present time to urgently establish

robust baselines and develop indicators for monitoring climate change.

• How will the distribution and abundance of marine species and communities alter with climate change?

• Which species are candidate indicators for climate change impacts?

• Within large marine ecosystems, where are sensitive areas or hotspots of change?

• What tools are available to us – especially developing countries - to answer such questions

• Who pays for observations in developing countries?

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• 35 Years of the Nansen Programme: fisheries resources and environment surveys in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America using the R/V Dr Fridtjof Nansen for exploration, assessment, management and capacity building

The Nansen Programme and the EAF-Nansen project

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•Norway’s continued support to developing countries to fulfill international obligations (e.g. WSSD target on adoption and implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries)

•Working with 32 countries and in partnership with all 4 LME projects (CCLME, GCLME, BCC, ASCLME) and other regional projects in Africa

EAF-Nansen Project: Strengthening the Knowledge Base for and

Implementing an Ecosystem Approach to Marine Fisheries in Developing Countries (since 2007)

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Assessing and Monitoring fish resources

Monitoring the Environment and carrying out environmental surveys in relation to oil and gas prospecting and drilling

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Plankton and benthos mapping and bathymetric mapping using a multibeam echosounder

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EAF-Nansen, climate change and the future• Nansen surveys are helping to set baselines

to monitor climate change and in identification of indicators for climate change monitoring

• There is need to monitor the ecosystem with adequate sampling intensity in order to establish the state of the system and with sufficient precision to detect changes

• A more multidisciplinary but collaborative approach is required and the ”Dr. Fridtjof Nansen” could be a platform for cooperation among UN and other agencies addressing impact of climate change on the marine ecosystem

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A new vessel to serve the needs of developing countries

• Norway intends to continue the partnership and commitment for this work – truly international effort under the leadership of FAO – with a new vessel

• The new vessel would also serve the needs of several UN organizations and regional partners for monitoring the state of the marine ecosystem

• Norway would appreciate commitment/expression of interest in a partnership that would ensure that climate change issues in developing countries are fully considered in the global agenda

• Final decision on the vessel will be taken early next year

WE WOULD VALUE YOUR VIEWS ON THIS PROPOSALTHANK YOU