7th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference in Barbados Presentation on Experiences from the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project and the GEF/UNEP Blue Forests Project (PPG) by Steven Lutz

1. 'Blue Carbon+: Efforts to harness coastal and
marine ecosystem values for improved
ecosystem management
Experiences from the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project and the
GEF/UNEP Blue Forests Project (PPG)
Steven Lutz
Garth Cripps, Blue Ventures

2. Building Blue Carbon Projects
Presentation agenda:
1. What is Blue Carbon & why is it
important?
2. What does a Blue Carbon / Blue Forests
project look like?
– Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration
Project
– GEF Blue Forests Project
– Mikoko Pajoma project
3. Lessons learned and key elements for
‘bridging the gap’

3. What is Blue Carbon?
 A recent concept in marine conservation that advances the role
some coastal ecosystems play in storing greenhouse gasses,
thereby helping to mitigate climate change.
 Blue carbon ecosystems include mangrove forests, seagrass
meadows and saltwater marshlands.

4. What
is Blue
Carbon?
Annual mitigation
potential for all
three habitat types
is roughly between
300 and 900
million t carbon,
approximately
equal to the
industry and
energy emissions
of Poland and
Germany
respectfully
(Murray et al,
2011).

5. Why Blue Carbon?
 These ecosystems are also vitally important to the livelihoods
of many in coastal communities around the world, through the
myriad of valuable ecosystem services they provide.

6. Why Blue Carbon?
“Textbook” total ecosystem service values
- VS -
The values local users and communities place on these
ecosystems.

7. Why Blue Carbon?
- Over 30 % of global mangroves are thought of as degraded

8. Why Blue Carbon?
• Healthy ecosystems store and sequester carbon
• Degraded ecosystems release carbon
iStockphoto

9. UNEP/GEF Blue Forests Project
Project under GEF-5 Work Programme
The Blue Forests Project is a UNEP proposal to implement
better coastal ecosystem management by harnessing the
values associated with carbon and ecosystem services at a
number of demonstration sites throughout the globe.
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$4.5m USD over 4 years
Co-financing: over $23m USD
Currently finalizing PPG phase
FSP submission to GEF in Sept 2013
‘Blue Forests’ = carbon & ecosystem services

10. GEF
Blue
Forests
Project
Partners
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UNEP
GRID-Arendal
UNEP-WCMC
Duke University
IUCN
Blue Ventures
Conservation International
WWF
AGEDI
Indonesia Ministry of Marine Affairs And Fisheries
UNEP-ROLAC
Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute
US Forest Service
South African Institute of International Affairs
The Ocean Foundation
NOAA
Stockholm University
Charles Darwin University

11. GEF Blue Forests Project

12. Blue Forests Project Components
Component 1 – development of guidance for implementation
Project-level support
Component 2 – application of Blue Forests
Madagascar – Ecuador – Mozambique –Indonesia – UAE
Kenya – Central America
Component 3 – improved understanding
Targeted research
Component 4 – adoption of methodologies and approaches
Policy and greater GEF IW and international application
Component 5 – monitoring, networking and information sharing
Project management

13. The small-scale interventions
Madagascar – Ecuador – Mozambique – Indonesia – UAE
• Improved understanding
of carbon and ecosystem services for blue forests
ecosystems
• Improved capacity and ecosystem management
for blue forests ecosystems

14. Options for improved ecosystem management through
• Carbon market or other payment for ecosystem service
• Conservation agreements
- Incentives for conservation actions
e.g., Change monofilament gillnets for lobster traps >
market access or product certification
• Recognition of carbon and ES in policy and management
- Existing legislation related to environmental
management or climate change
- Commitments in biodiversity or climate change
• Other mechanisms
- Debt swap?
- Specialized funds for development mitigation?

15. Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project
• Abu-Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative
(AGEDI)
• GRID-Arendal, UNEP, UNEP-WCMC, Forest
Trends, expert science team
• $1.8 USD million
(%100 co-finance to the GEF Blue Forest Project)
• Assess all three blue carbon ecosystems + ES
• Nov. 2012- Dec. 2013
• Part of the Oceans and Blue Carbon Special Iniative

16. Mangroves in UAE - A Unique Marine Ecosystem Legacy
• Recognizing the importance of mangrove ecosystem services, the
late Sheikh Zayed initiated a massive mangrove forestation
programme.
• The UAE is one of the only countries in the world to experience a
positive growth in area of mangrove cover
• More than 75% of the total mangrove forest area in the UAE is
located in Abu Dhabi.

17. What does
a Blue Forests Blue Carbon+
Project look
like?
(Abu Dhabi
Blue Carbon
Demonstration
Project)

18. Baseline Carbon Assessment
• Conducted by local and international science team

19. Capacity building
• Local experts and management and blue carbon science
teams from Madagascar and Indonesia
Lessons learned from the experience will help ‘safeguard the ecological goods
and services critical to increasingly poor and vulnerable Malagasy coastal
communities, while also safeguarding critical biodiversity.’
- Lalao Aigrette, Mangrove Field Scientist, Madagascar

20. Ecosystem Services Assessment
• Conducted by Forest trends

21. Policy Assessment
• Conducted by UNEP

22. Policy Assessment
Academic approach
~ Research > deliverable (report)
Abu Dhabi approach
• Consult with decision makers
- Decide on plan of action and target stakeholders &
clear and consistent messaging
• Consult with stakeholders
• Bring stakeholders together
- present preliminary results, engage discussion
• Re-assess deliverable (policy options)
• Consult and bring stakeholders together again
- present final results, engage discussion

23. Mikoko Pamoja - community-led mangrove carbon and
conservation project
• Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Earthwatch, Napier Uni.
• Gazi Bay, Kenya (107ha, small-scale)
• Considered co-finance to the GEF project (through KMFRI).
• Certified under the Plan Vivo Standard
A framework for supporting communities to manage their natural
resources more sustainably, with a view to generating climate, livelihood,
and ecosystem benefits through payments for ecosystem services (PES); in
this case mangrove carbon.
Background:
Mangroves extensively degraded since the 1970’s,
through commercial logging and land conversion.
Impacts to local communities - shortages of firewood and
building poles, decline in fisheries, and increased coastal
erosion.
Kairo, et al, in press (not for citation)

24. Mikoko Pamoja – Project timeline
June 2010
Approval of Project Idea Note (PIN).
July 2012
Validation of project (reforestation and avoided
deforestation).
.
June 2013
Independent verification of project.
Fall 2013
Payments expected to be realized
*Once the Kenyan Government issues a Forest
Management Agreement to the Gazi Bay
community.
Intended funder -
AVIVA - British multinational insurance company
headquartered in London, UK. It is the sixthlargest insurance company in the world.
Kairo, et al, in press (not for citation)

25. Negotiated
Financial
Flow of
Mikoko
Pamoja
External Buyer of the Carbon Credits
Estimated Income per year is $15,000 USD
Mikoko Pamoja
Coordinating Group
Kairo, et al, in press
(not for citation)
3 % of
Income
Group Expenses
(Stationery etc)
97 % of the Income
Mikoko Pamoja
Community Based Organization
33 % of
Income
Projects for Community Benefit.
Expenditure determined through a
community benefit consultation
process
37 % of
Income
25 % of
Income
3 % of
Income
Project
Coordinator
Salary
Group Expenses
(Stationery etc)
Mikoko Pamoja Work Teams
Nursery establishment
Mangrove policing
Monitoring and Evaluation tasks

26. Lessons learned and elements for success in 'bridging the gap‘
between valuation and policy making
• Consult with policy makers at the beginning - understand local
demand and desired outcomes
• Gain authority for project and your stakeholder engagement
(political support)
• Engage stakeholders through a continual consultation
process
• Effective communication key, especially clear messaging of
scope of project and desired outcomes
• An honest discussion of expectations and limitations (avoid
overselling)
• Policy engagement cannot be ignored!

27. Tussen takk!
Steven Lutz - steven.lutz@grida.no
Blue Carbon Portal - http://bluecarbonportal.org

28. Questions for facilitated discussion
- bridging the gap • Are there any other examples of successful efforts in
bridging the gap or key elements to consider that you
would like to share with us?
• What types of additional information and processes are
necessary to bridge the gap?
• What other types of information, in terms of human
dimensions, should be considered in bridging the gap?