Latest news updates from IW projects worldwide

ReefBase at the 11th ICRS, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

2008-07-03T06:47:49Z

Yet again, this is the year for the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) after its previous one in Okinawa, Japan in 2004. Held every four years since 1969 in India, the 11th ICRS will take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this July 7th -11th and will be anticipating about 2000 participants in what is claimed to be the world's major coral reef meeting. The ReefBase team will be parti

A Breakthrough in the fight against pollution in the Mediterranean

2008-06-26T07:24:51Z

After several years of negotiations and following the last ratifications by Syria and Croatia, the 1996 amendments to the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities have finally entered into force.

The entry into force of the Protocol accelerates the process for Mediterranean countries to develop short term and medium term regional action plans and programmes containing legally binding measures and timetables for their implementation, as stated in art. 15 of the Barcelona Convention.

According to art.15, the plans and the programmes must be approved within one year following the entry into force of the protocol and then become legally binding.

“The entry into force of the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities provides the region with a very modern and powerful legal instrument for the elimination of land-based pollution. This is a major breakthrough for MAP and its legal framework, that commits Contracting Parties to enter into a concrete process of pollution reduction with precise targets and deadlines, in order to protect the Mediterranean region”, said UNEP/MAP Coordinator Paul Mifsud.

The MED POL Programme, responsible for assisting the countries in the implementation of the LBS Protocol, has been preparing the ground for the preparation of the above plans and measures through a process started in 1996 that culminated in the adoption of a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) to address pollution from land-based sources and activities and of National Action Plans, recently endorsed by the countries.

“On the basis of the results achieved until now, during last biennium MED POL has started discussing a new strategy related to the implementation of the LBS Protocol and its Art 15 that includes the definition of new priorities, the identification of a differentiation approach for pollution reduction and, as a result, the formulation of action plans and programmes containing measures and timetables for adoption” said Francesco Saverio Civili, MED POL Programme Coordinator.

“These combined elements will give way to the preparation of a legally binding document, which will indicate targets and deadlines for each priority substance. The target for 2009 is to have a set of initial priority substances to be presented at the next Conference Of Parties of the Barcelona Convention in 2009”.

The MEDPOL Programme of UNEP/MAP is the component of MAP responsible for the follow up work related to the implementation of the the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities (1980, as amended in 1996), and of the Dumping and Hazardous Wastes Protocols.

The Programme assists Mediterranean countries in the formulation and implementation of pollution monitoring programmes, including pollution control measures and the drafting of action plans aiming to eliminate pollution from land-based sources.

This development gives an additional boost to the de-pollution process launched by UNEP/MAP and MED POL, and supported by the European Investment Bank, the World Bank and other donors, through specific initiatives, such as Horizon 2020 and the new GEF Strategic Partnership.

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Mekong Water Utilisation Programme Ends

2008-06-26T06:58:46Z

The Water Utilisation Programme, one of the core pillars of MRC work since 2000, enabled the four countries to draft and agree on procedures for dealing with information exchange, water use and quality monitoring, and flow maintenance for the Mekong River. It thereby laid the foundation for technical cooperation between the MRC member states of Cambodia, the Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam on the joint use of the Mekong waters. In addition, the programme created procedures for notification, consultation and agreement on projects affecting the river and its tributaries, and also established a ‘Decision Support Framework’ which enables the governments of the countries to make decisions informed by accurate scientific and socio-economic data.

Declaring the programme closed after a day of discussions on its successes, shortcomings and legacy, CEO of the Secretariat Jeremy Bird said that the true worth of its main achievements will become more obvious in the years to come, “as they are repeatedly used in managing the resources of the Mekong Basin in a peaceful, cooperative and sustainable manner”.

Bird told the assembled audience of government technicians and planners from the four countries, plus development partners and journalists, that the Water Utilisation Programme had some unfinished business, and that the MRC would continue to pursue its goals of integrated water resource management through new and existing projects, notably through the Basin Development Plan and the Information and Knowledge Management Programme.

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The Ultimate Guide to Managing Coral Reef Disease

2008-06-26T05:17:06Z

From world-leading marine researchers comes the ultimate 124-page handbook, accompanied by two sets of regional underwater (identification) cards, each illustrated with colour photography throughout.

The handbook, entitled Coral Disease Handbook: Guidelines for Assessment, Monitoring and Management, is designed to be used in conjunction with the two sets of identification cards, the Underwater Cards for Assessing Coral Health on Indo-Pacific Reefs and the Underwater Cards for Assessing Coral Health on Caribbean Reefs.

The publications are available from the Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management (CRTR) Program, a leading international coral reef research program that provides a coordinated approach to credible, factual and scientifically-proven knowledge for improved coral reef management.

These landmark tools are only available for sale at www.gefcoral.org/publications or at the ICRS.

The publications are designed specifically for management and research professionals with an interest in monitoring coral reef diseases and coral reef health, says Dr Marea Hatziolos, CRTR Team Leader at the World Bank.

"The handbook outlines procedures for describing signs, measuring disease impacts, monitoring disease outbreaks, assessing causes, and managing reefs to minimize losses due to disease," says Dr Hatziolos.

“It summarizes the relevant known science for managing coral disease and, in addition, it helps managers not only to document and manage disease on the reefs they are responsible for, but also allows them to contribute to our scientific understanding of this grave threat."

Says Professor Drew Harvell, co-author and Chair of the CRTR's Disease Working Group: "These specialist management tools will help marine managers and field scientists identify and monitor infectious syndromes of coral and take the next step of implementing new management approaches."

The handbook includes three chapters on identifying infectious syndromes and their impacts in the field; a chapter on coral disease monitoring protocols; a chapter detailing methods for detecting and assessing new outbreaks of disease; and a chapter on developing new management options for coral disease.

"The coral disease handbook emphasizes the synergies between infectious disease and the rapidly-changing facilitators of disease outbreaks, like global warming," Professor Harvell says.

"These factors make coral disease management a ‘moving target’ requiring cooperation and knowledge exchange between microbiologists, molecular biologists, ecologists and managers. The handbook aims to integrate critical, current scientific information about coral disease to support and strengthen coral reef management."

By using the underwater cards recreational, professional and scientific divers can:
* Learn to identify coral diseases and survey techniques for measuring coral disease prevalence;
* Gather information on the distribution and abundance of coral diseases on local reefs;
* Monitor the health of local coral reefs and identify potential drivers of disease abundance;
* Contribute to a world-wide data base on coral disease; and
* Help to conserve the world’s coral reefs.

The cards start with a decision tree for assessing the health status of corals. The decision tree is color-coded to assist with navigation through the cards. This step-by-step approach enables users to assess the health status of a coral. Observations can be recorded on a data sheet provided at the end of the card set.

The CRTR Program is a an international partnership between the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, The University of Queensland (Australia), the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and approximately 50 research institutes and other third-parties worldwide.

Above is excerpt from original media release- click here to view

Belitung Indonesia Coral Reef Habitat Demonstration Site Website

2008-06-26T05:10:15Z

The site is currently available in Bahasa only, and the English language version will be available later.

Please support the Belitung site by forwarding the link to the website site http://www.selatnasik.org to interested colleagues and friends.

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Philippines Hosts EAS Congress 2009, Venue Set in Manila

2008-06-26T04:12:28Z

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines, and the PEMSEA Resource Facility have confirmed that the site of the EAS Congress 2009 will be Manila, Philippines.

The EAS Congress 2009 will be a venue for reviewing and sharing on-the-ground experiences in integrated management of coastal and marine resources. Carrying the theme, "Partnerships at Work: Local Implementation and Good Practices," the EAS Congress 2009 will highlight initiatives and good practices covering aspects of coastal and marine resource management and how government and non-government partnerships are contributing to regional and international environmental targets.

Above is excerpt from original article - click here to view

IWCAM Project Video Outreach

2008-06-25T09:04:10Z

Some of the latest productions have been released by the IWCAM Project, entitled 'Think About Water', which is a series of video shorts (2 mins each) introducing Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) in the Caribbean.

The videos include:
1. Think About Water
2. Water Governance
3. Land-based Sources of Pollution
4. IWCAM: Tobago Demonstration Project

If you have a video that you would like to make available through IWLEARN.NET, please contact us