Integrating blue: How do we make nationally determined contributions work for both blue carbon and local coastal communities?

Amrit Melissa Dencer-Brown¹, Robyn Shilland², Daniel Friess^{3

4}, Dorothée Herr⁵, Lisa Benson⁶, Nicholas J Berry⁷, Miguel Cifuentes-Jara⁸, Patrick Colas⁹, Ellyn Damayanti¹⁰, Elisa López García^{11

12}, Marina Gavaldão¹³, Gabriel Grimsditch¹⁴, Adam P Hejnowicz^{15

16}, Jennifer Howard¹⁷, Sheikh Tawhidul Islam¹⁸, Hilary Kennedy¹⁹, Rahma Rashid Kivugo²⁰, Joseph K S Lang'at²¹, Catherine Lovelock²², Ruth Malleson²³, Peter I Macreadie²⁴, Rosalía Andrade-Medina^{11

12}, Ahmed Mohamed¹⁴, Emily Pidgeon²⁵, Jorge Ramos²⁶, Minerva Rosette^{11

12}, Mwanarusi Mwafrica Salim²⁷, Eva Schoof²⁸, Byomkesh Talukder²⁹, Tamara Thomas³⁰, Mathew A Vanderklift³¹, Mark Huxham²

Affiliations

¹ Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, Scotland. I.Dencer-Brown@napier.ac.uk.
² School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, Scotland.
³ Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
⁴ NUS Centre for Nature-Based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
⁵ Global Marine and Polar Program, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
⁶ The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0HT, Suffolk, UK.
⁷ The Landscapes and Livelihoods Group LLP, Edinburgh, UK.
⁸ CATIE - Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, Turrialba, 30501, Costa Rica.
⁹ Conservation Finance Africa Field Division - Conservation International, Ndege Road, Nairobi, Kenya.
¹⁰ Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia.
¹¹ CINVESTAV - Laboratorio de Producción Primaria, Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional - Unidad Mérida, Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km 6, CP 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
¹² Resiliencia Azul (NPO), Mogi das Cruzes, Mexico.
¹³ Ubá Sustainability Institute - Blue Carbon Hub, Marseille, France.
¹⁴ United Nations Environment Programme, UN Avenue, PO Box 67578, Nairobi, Kenya.
¹⁵ School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
¹⁶ Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
¹⁷ Blue Carbon Program, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA.
¹⁸ Institute of Remote Sensing and GIS, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh.
¹⁹ School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Wales, LL59 5AB, UK.
²⁰ Mikoko Pamoja Community Base Organization, P.O. BOX 178-80404, Msambweni, Kenya.
²¹ Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, P. O. Box 81651-80100, Mombasa, Kenya.
²² School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
²³ University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK.
²⁴ Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
²⁵ Center for Oceans, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA.
²⁶ Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 6087, South Bunbury, WA, 6230, Australia.
²⁷ Vanga Blue Forest Community Based Organization, P.O Box 115-80402, Lungalunga, Kwale County, Kenya.
²⁸ Plan Vivo Foundation, Thorn House, 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PR, UK.
²⁹ Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³⁰ International Ocean Policy, Global Policy and Government Relations, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA.
³¹ CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.

PMID: 35503201
PMCID: PMC9063623
DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01723-1

Integrating blue: How do we make nationally determined contributions work for both blue carbon and local coastal communities?

Amrit Melissa Dencer-Brown et al. Ambio. 2022 Sep.

. 2022 Sep;51(9):1978-1993.

doi: 10.1007/s13280-022-01723-1. Epub 2022 May 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, Scotland. I.Dencer-Brown@napier.ac.uk.
² School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, Scotland.
³ Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
⁴ NUS Centre for Nature-Based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
⁵ Global Marine and Polar Program, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
⁶ The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0HT, Suffolk, UK.
⁷ The Landscapes and Livelihoods Group LLP, Edinburgh, UK.
⁸ CATIE - Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, Turrialba, 30501, Costa Rica.
⁹ Conservation Finance Africa Field Division - Conservation International, Ndege Road, Nairobi, Kenya.
¹⁰ Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia.
¹¹ CINVESTAV - Laboratorio de Producción Primaria, Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional - Unidad Mérida, Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km 6, CP 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
¹² Resiliencia Azul (NPO), Mogi das Cruzes, Mexico.
¹³ Ubá Sustainability Institute - Blue Carbon Hub, Marseille, France.
¹⁴ United Nations Environment Programme, UN Avenue, PO Box 67578, Nairobi, Kenya.
¹⁵ School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
¹⁶ Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
¹⁷ Blue Carbon Program, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA.
¹⁸ Institute of Remote Sensing and GIS, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh.
¹⁹ School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Wales, LL59 5AB, UK.
²⁰ Mikoko Pamoja Community Base Organization, P.O. BOX 178-80404, Msambweni, Kenya.
²¹ Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, P. O. Box 81651-80100, Mombasa, Kenya.
²² School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
²³ University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK.
²⁴ Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
²⁵ Center for Oceans, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA.
²⁶ Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 6087, South Bunbury, WA, 6230, Australia.
²⁷ Vanga Blue Forest Community Based Organization, P.O Box 115-80402, Lungalunga, Kwale County, Kenya.
²⁸ Plan Vivo Foundation, Thorn House, 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PR, UK.
²⁹ Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³⁰ International Ocean Policy, Global Policy and Government Relations, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA.
³¹ CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.

PMID: 35503201
PMCID: PMC9063623
DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01723-1

Abstract

Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCEs) help mitigate and adapt to climate change but their integration into policy, such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), remains underdeveloped. Most BCE conservation requires community engagement, hence community-scale projects must be nested within the implementation of NDCs without compromising livelihoods or social justice. Thirty-three experts, drawn from academia, project development and policy, each developed ten key questions for consideration on how to achieve this. These questions were distilled into ten themes, ranked in order of importance, giving three broad categories of people, policy & finance, and science & technology. Critical considerations for success include the need for genuine participation by communities, inclusive project governance, integration of local work into national policies and practices, sustaining livelihoods and income (for example through the voluntary carbon market and/or national Payment for Ecosystem Services and other types of financial compensation schemes) and simplification of carbon accounting and verification methodologies to lower barriers to entry.

Keywords: Blue carbon; Conservation; Local livelihoods; NDCs; Nature-based solutions; Sustainability.

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Figures

**Fig. 1**
Blue NbS and the NDC ratchet mechanism with potential points in the NDC cycle for community engagement (adapted from UNFCCC Secretariat in Von Unger et al. 2020)

**Fig. 2**
a Geographic distribution of stakeholders and b Field of work of stakeholders

**Fig. 3**
Ten key themes and questions emerging from the scan in three broad areas of people, policy and funding and science and technology

**Fig. 4**
Stakeholders in blue carbon activities, with communities at the heart of the process. Adapted from Vanderklift et al. (2019)

**Fig. 5**
Decision tree for blue carbon in NDC with current adaptation and mitigation options for countries, adapted from Durham et al. (2020)

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services. 2021. Mikoko Pamoja Project. https://www.aces-org.co.uk/mikoko-pamoja-project/. Accessed 12 May 2021
1. Badola R, Barthwal S, Hussain SA. Attitudes of local communities towards conservation of mangrove forests: A case study from the east coast of India. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2012;96:188–196. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2011.11.016. - DOI
1. Banjade, M.R., N. Liswanti, T. Herawati, and E. Mwangi. 2017. Governing mangroves: Unique challenges for managing Indonesia’s coastal forests. Bogor, Indonesia: CIFOR; Washington, DC: USAID Tenure and Global Climate Change Program (Report)
1. Barnaud C, Van Paassen A. Equity, power games, and legitimacy: Dilemmas of participatory natural resource management. Ecology and Society. 2013;18:21. doi: 10.5751/ES-05459-180221. - DOI
1. Beeston, M., L. Cuyvers, and J. Vermilye. 2020. Blue carbon: Mind the gap. Gallifrey Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland (Report)

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Integrating blue: How do we make nationally determined contributions work for both blue carbon and local coastal communities?

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Integrating blue: How do we make nationally determined contributions work for both blue carbon and local coastal communities?

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