presentation to committee of ambassadors

From GoG-LME to IGCC/GCLME

Leading Global Marine Ecosystem Recovery

GCLME Strategic Action Programme

Boundaries of the Guinea Current RegionStretches north to south between

latitudes 25° N and 13° S; west to east between the longitudes 20° W and 32° E

Land surface area 8 340 200 km2Oceanic section stretches over 5

560 km of coast from the Bissagos archipelago in Guinea-Bissau to the mouth of the Congo River

Marine section surface area around 350 000 km2 and 2.6 million km2 for the total of Exclusive Economic Zones


Guinea Current Region The 16 coastal countries making up the region: Guinea-Bissau Guinea, Sierra Leone Liberia Cote d’Ivoire Ghana Togo Benin Nigeria Cameroon Congo Rep Equatorial Guinea Gabon Congo DR Angola Sao Tome e Principe

GCLME Strategic Action Programme GCLME’s Main River BasinsBasin Area Km2 Countries ICB Value

Niger 2 113 200 11 5.21

Congo 3 691 000 13 4.19

Volta 412 800 6 2.94


Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem (1995)

Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (2005)

Interim Guinea Current Commission (Start 2006; ends Dec 2010)

Guinea Current Commission (Starts July 2010)


Organization Chart


Some Challenges Decline of fish catch in the region due to overfishing

Lack of management and adequate forecasting system on fishing activity; this has food security implications for the 300 million people of the GCLME region

Physical destruction of coastal habitats and wetlands ; this is causing the loss of spawning and breeding grounds for most living resources; flora and fauna also endangered

Overuse and pollution has severely damaged mangroves

Use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in commercial agriculture impact the marine and coastal environment

Oil and other Industries, urbanization socio-economic infrastructure near the coast all exert pollution pressure on the region’s waters


Phosphate Plant, Kpeme, Togo

Phosphate waste discharged into sea


Level of Mangrove LossResults of the Gulf of Guinea-LME pilot

project phase show that:55 % of Ghana’s mangroves and

significant wetlands around the greater Accra area had been decimated through pollution and overcutting

For Benin it is 45% in the Lake NOKOUE area

Nigeria is 33% in the Niger DeltaCameroon 28% in the Wouri EstuaryCote d’Ivoire 60% in the Bay of

Cocody


IGCC/GCLME’s Remit Address the priority problems and issues that have lead

to unsustainable fishing and use of other marine resources, as well as degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems by human activity in the region.

Broadly, and in the long-term IGCC/GCLME must:

Recover and sustain depleted fisheriesRestore degraded habitatsReduce land- and ship-based pollutants


Long-Term ObjectivesRestore and sustain the health of the GCLME and its natural resources, particularly as it

concerns its biological diversify. To achieve this, development goals with the following immediate objectives were established:

Strengthening regional institutional capacity to prevent and remedy pollution of the GCLME and associated degradation of physical habitats

Develop an integrated data and information management system as a decision-making support tool for sound ecosystem management

Establish comprehensive programme for assessment of the living marine ecosystem, and health and productivity of GCLME

Prevent and control land based sources of industrial and urban pollution

Develop national and regional strategies and policies for long-term management of GCLME


Priority AreasPriority Action Areas Priority Problems of Resource

Depletion• Reversing

degradation of the coastal area and living resources

• Relying heavily on regional capacity-building

• Loss of biodiversity (including coastal erosion and loss of habitat)

• Land- and Sea-based pollution


Priority Areas ContinuedImprove capacity

Strengthen national and regional institutions

Improve policy/legislative frameworks

Demonstrate technologies and approaches that will lead to improved ecosystem status

Cooperation with the private sector, since it is vital for long-term sustainability of actions


What Has Been Done A Trans-boundary Diagnostic Analysis

• Strategic Action Plan (SAP) prepared

Prepared Workshops on National Action Plans

launched December 2009


SAP Policy ActionsManagement and Sustainable Utilization of Marine

Living resourcesManagement of Minerals and Extractive ResourcesEffective Assessment of Environmental Variability,

Ecosystem ImpactsDevelopment of Early Warning System for Ecosystem

ChangeAssessment, Reduction and Control of PollutionMaintenance of Ecosystem Health and Protection of

Biodiversity

NEXT STEPS

• Transition from IGCC to GCC• Phase II funding support 2011-2015• Gradual transfer of Management to Member

States.• 2nd Ministerial Conference -2nd July 2010• Partners Conference in October 2010 in

Cameroon


Merci! Gracias!

Obrigado! Thank You!

presentation to committee of ambassadors

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