The Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, and four other partner agencies have been tasked with leading an initiative to curb land-based pollution of coastal areas and shorelines.
The Global Environment Facility, GEF, council approved the source-to-sea initiative, which will direct up to $115m in grants to clean up coastal areas.
FAO will co-lead the Clean and Healthy Oceans initiative alongside the Asian Development Bank, ADB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EBRD, and the Development Bank of Latin America, CAF.
The programme will also map land-based sources of ocean pollution and develop solutions that improve both human and ocean health.
Hypoxia caused by pollution from land-based sources, including excessive fertiliser use, untreated wastewater and organic waste, is reducing the amount of oxygen in oceans.
The resulting “dead zones” lack sufficient oxygen to sustain living tissue.
This and other sustainability problems such as ocean acidification, rising sea levels and overfishing are typically exacerbated by climate change.
Value coastal fish species may migrate to areas with higher oxygen levels, while coral reefs may experience mass mortality and marine reproduction rates may decline.
Through policy and regulatory innovation, infrastructure investments, and nature-based solutions, the Clean and Healthy Oceans strategy aims to curb land-based pollution of oceans.
FAO will lead the initiative, managed in a partnership with the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Agency, UNESCO, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
The programme aims to understand the effects of polluting land-based sources on hypoxia and to apply ocean science to develop solutions that improve both human and marine health.
Executive President of CAF, Sergio Díaz-Granados, said that the initiative reaffirms the multilateral commitment to fight climate change and promote the development of the blue economy.
He emphasised the importance of reinforcing marine ecosystems to prevent overfishing and encourage the development of sustainable fisheries.
The initiative will be implemented under the UN-led Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
(NAN)
