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Building Blue Carbon Projects
An Introductory Guide
for Blue Carbon assessment are defined.
Demonstration phase
: This phase involves the
exploration of and demonstration of the valuation
of Blue Carbon and the identifying of options for
this value to be incorporated into improved
ecosystem policy and management. Here, it is also
decided how the value of Blue Carbon may be
employed - through carbon finance, conservation
agreements,
recognition
in
policy
and
management, or other mechanisms. Good data
and information are critically important for the
demonstration phase - with assessments of Blue
Carbon ecosystems, evaluations of governance
options, and more.
Implementation phase
: This phase addresses how
Blue Carbon can be implemented and results in
improved coastal ecosystem management, as well
as how it can be adjusted over time to stay
effective and sustainable over the long-term.
3.2
Conducting a Blue Carbon Scoping Study
Undertaking a scoping study (or feasibility assessment)
is a first step in understanding what Blue Carbon
activities are best suited to a particular site or region.
A scoping study provides an overview of a Blue Carbon
ecosystem, stimulates and or gauges the interest of
relevant stakeholders, and uses a consultative process
to set overarching goals for a Blue Carbon project.
Priorities of a Blue Carbon scoping study may include:
Identifying target geographic areas of Blue Carbon
ecosystems and the drivers of loss or degradation;
Understanding and building interest, expanding
participation, and creating settings for sectors and
stakeholders to converge;
Establishing a common understanding of Blue Carbon and options for a project;
Taking stock of existing relevant management practices and policies, scientific capacity and
data resources; and
Identifying potential ecosystem services whose value could be leveraged to support the
project’s activities and goals (e.g., shoreline protections, safeguarding commercial fishing
stocks (see Sections 4 and 5)) and understanding potential social and environmental risks.
Appendix 1 provides an extensive list of suggested questions for use during a scoping study that
will help guide the development of a future Blue Carbon demonstration project. One deliverable
Potential Blue Carbon Project
Stakeholders
Resource users
Local coastal communities living around
blue forests that depend on them for
livelihoods and food security
Private sector
Tourism / recreation
– coastal tourism and
ecotourism, hotels, cruise ship industry that
gain revenue from healthy blue forests
ecosystems
Fisheries / food security
– fisheries
organizations and food security
stakeholders that rely on blue forests
ecosystem health
Flood / storm protection
– insurance
agencies, disaster relief agencies
Carbon market
- companies and bodies that
buy carbon credits or pay for ecosystem
services or facilitate such markets
Development / investment
- bodies involved
in other aspects of coastal development
that may impact blue forests ecosystems
Science and academia
Local and national universities and students
Regional and international scientists
working on other Blue Carbon projects and
efforts
Policy, management and decision-making
Local
- community groups, local protected
area authority
National
– environmental management and
climate change authorities
International
– international commitments
(RAMSAR, UNFCCC, CBD)
Figure 4
Potential Blue Carbon project
stakeholders.
