UNEP-MAP and the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean.

Lisbon, Portugal

20th June 2014

Virginie Hart, PhD Marine and Coastal Expert for the MedPartnership UNEP/MAP

United Nations Environment Programme

Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP)

Four major pillars:

Marine & Coastal Environment and Sustainable Development;

Barcelona Convention and 7 Protocols,

Mediterranean Trust Fund (MTF),

Institutional set up: Contracting Parties bodies & Secretariat + Regional Activity Centers (RACs)

The Mediterranean Action Plan and Barcelona Convention: Adopted in 1976, revised in 1995

22 Contracting Parties

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Italy, Malta, Monaco, France, Spain and the European Union.

Status of Ratifications of the Barcelona

Convention and its Protocols

UNEP/MAP and its Regional Activity Centers (RACs) UNEP/MAP Secretariat, Athens Greece & the Program on Pollution (MEDPOL)

Priority Actions Program (PAP/RAC): Coastal Zone Management, Croatia, Split

Sustainable Consumption & Production (SCP/RAC), Barcelona, Spain

Plan Bleu: Sustainable Development, Sophia-Antipolis, France

Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA), Tunis, Tunisia

Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC)

Major lines of actions

Monitoring implementation of the Convention and where appropriate of Protocols, and the Regional Plans

Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development (MSSD) & Sustainable Development Indicators

Ecosystem Approach (EcAp) an over arching principle of UNEP/MAP work. Includes agreement on GES and related targets and long-term monitoring. In line with MSFD but extended to all non-EU countries.

Coordinate preparing the State of the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Environment

The MedPartnership project involving 10 partners

Climate Variability and ICZM project; and

SWITCH-Med project with CP/RAC, on Sustainable Consumption and production.

UNEP/MAP Secretariat, Athens Greece

Major Line of Activities

Program on Pollution (MEDPOL), Athens, Greece

Strategic Action Plan and National Action plans (NAPs) for pollution: status of implementation, and updating priorities in the NAPs

Implement and monitor regional plans on Marine litter, BOD from WWTP & food sector, Mercury

Coordination of Pollution Monitoring and assessment (levels, trends and loads) including related EcAP indicators. Database updated. Includes Pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR); and

Web-based tools for Effluent and Emission Limit Values (ELV), Environmental Quality Objectives (EQO).

Major Line of Activities

Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA), Tunis, Tunisia

Establishment of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs)

Maps and inventories of key habitats under the two Action Plans for the Conservation of Marine Vegetation and for the Conservation of the Coralligenous and other Calcareous Bio-concretions in the Mediterranean Sea completed

A web based Regional Ballast Water Information Exchange System developed on ships’ ballast water and invasive aquatic species issues.

Assessment and supporting the creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

11 Ecological Objectives of EcAp

1. Biological diversity is maintained or enhanced

2. Non-indigenous species introduced by human activities are at levels that do not adversely affect the ecosystem

3. Population of selected commercially exploited fish and shellfish are within biologically safe limits

4. Alterations to the components of marine food webs do not have a long-term adverse effects

5. Human-induced eutrophication is prevented

The 7 steps - #4

6. Sea-floor integrity is maintained, especially in priority benthic habitats

7. Alteration of hydrographic conditions does not affect coastal and marine ecosystems

8. The natural dynamics of coastal areas are maintained and coastal ecosystems and landscapes are preserved

9. Contaminants cause no significant impact on coastal and marine ecosystems and human health

10. Marine and coastal litter do not adversely affect coastal and marine environment

11. Noise form human activities cause no significant impact on marine and coastal ecosystems

The 7 steps - #4

Potential future uses of MyOcean

EcAp is composed of 11 Ecological Objectives, and 64 indicators.

MyOcean could contribute data for the entire basin to especially compliment and fill in the gaps where data is limited.

I.e. For Eutrophication: Nutrient, chlorophyll, oxygen, net primary production and phytoplankton biomass.

I.e. Alteration of hydrographic conditions: Large scale changes in circulation patterns, temperature, pH, and salinity distribution; Long term changes in sea level; Impact on the circulation caused by the presence of structures; Location and extent of the habitats impacted directly by the alterations and/or the circulation changes induced by them.

I.e. Pollution and Litter: Occurrence, origin (where possible), extent of significant acute pollution events (e.g. slicks from oil, oil products and hazardous substances); Trends in the amount of litter washed ashore and/or deposited on coastlines, including analysis of its composition, spatial distribution and, where possible, source

MyOcean, EcAp and Monitoring of the Mediterranean

Potential future uses of MyOcean

Inclusion of data into the Climate Variability and Change Data Platform (MedICIP) and potential analysis to be discussed; and

Other potential analysis (to be defined) such as inclusion of analysis in next Mediterranean State of Environment Report;

Tracking marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea and Coast

Future plans for ecosystem modeling,

Contribution to the work on Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs), and Marine Protected Areas;

tracking oil spills, and others.

Other potential uses.

Potential future uses of MyOcean

There is a gap between MyOcean and Regional Seas Convention Secretariats who need information rather than data and may lack expertise to know how to use MyOcean data

MyOcean to meet with UNEP/MAP professionals. Can MyOcean also help in advising how data can be used, and joint agreement on products. Attend EcAp meeting to also present to countries;

MyOcean user training for key experts in MAP, as well as other Regional Seas. Could be one meeting, as other Regional Seas (HELCOM, OSPAR) are following similar approaches. Similar products could be developed for all;

Some products could be beyond scope of MyOcean, and new proposals and cooperation with institutions could be developed

Finally main priority for data and information is in the coastal areas, and therefore this gap in coastal data is an issue, where key habitats are coastal, untreated urban and industrial wastes, changes riverine fluxes, damming of rivers and reduction in sediments supplies to coast; coastal erosion etc.

Requirements from MyOcean