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Global
RRA report “Blue Carbon, the role of Healthy Oceans in binding Carbon” launced in
Cape Town on October 14.
http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/bluecarbon/
ebook.aspx
Blue carbon is already being promoted worldwide by numerous
organizations and countries as an addition to rainforests in carbon sequestration
and mitigation of climate change, and has already been included in various
programmes and in legal documents in i.e. US Senate.
DEWA A7 Global and regional launches and outreach events
on findings of environmental assessments to raise and
strengthen the awareness of environmental issues and
management.
DCPI A5.3 Media and outreach support to UNEP briefings,
launches, Audiovisual products and special events
Global
Rapid response assessment report “The Environmental Food Crisis” prepared and
launched at GMEF/GC, Nairobi in February 2009
B2. Development of global tools for seafloor ecosystem mapping taking into account the evaluation of goods and services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems.
Global
GEF/TWAP meeting attended:
•
Paris in March 2008 and contributed to the preparation of the Medium
Scale Project Proposal.
•
Working group meetings to develop methodology for the assessments of
oceans.
•
Inception meeting (June 2009) in Denmark. Importance of assessing
benthic marine systems highlighted and included as part of the
assessment needs.
DEWA A1 Reports and notes on the state of the environment
for global and regional intergovernmental bodies, such as the
UN General Assembly, UNEP governing bodies, Multilateral
Environmental Agreements, regional ministerial fora and the
Environmental Management Group (EMG) to enable them to
carry out informed decision-making processes.
Global
GRID Arendal is working with partners to develop and refine a project concept to
respond to this expected output to develop a tool for on Marine Benthic Habitat
mapping. This has, to date, been presented to UNEP and also to GEOHAB at their
meeting in Sitka, Alaska in May 2008. Methods for phase 1 (production of
geomorphology map) is under development.
Project organization and funding possibilities for implementation discussed in
conjunction with the 8th annual GEOHAB meeting in Trondheim May 2009.
Dr Peter Harris from Geoscience Australia visited GRID Arendal in August 2009 to
discuss the production of additional atlas geomorphology map layers. This work is
continuing.
Benthic Atlas template completed. Fifty-four scientists committed to providing
benthic habitat examples, using the template, for inclusion in the Benthic Atlas
publication. Web page developed showing map location (including Google Earth
version) and brief description of these benthic areas. Outline of Benthic Atlas
completed and accepted for publication by Elsevier. Draft of first 3 introductory
chapters completed.
DEWA B3 Up-to-date, coherent and complementary
information systems, databases and services including early
warning and alert services, using state-of-the-art information
and communication technology, public-private partnerships,
earth observations and scientific findings for assessment
practitioners and decision makers to enhance their capacity to
analyse environmental challenges.
N/A
Geoscience Australia has contributed AUS$ 5,000, plus in-kind support to produce
one layer of the geomorphology map.
N/A
Seafloor Geomorphology for Fisheries Management concept note submitted to
Ausaid. Partners identified in the Pacific - Service des Mines et de l'Energie, New
Caledonia.
Accepted (Fall 2009) on the organising committee for the June 1-4, 2010 expert
work session on the “Design of Marine Protected Areas for Hydrothermal-Vent and
Cold-Seep Ecosystems Potentially Threatened by Human Activities the Deep Sea.