January 2019 - Number 172 CAPTURING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT AND THE BLUE ECONOMY IN MENA Lia Carol Sieghart, Joseph Allen Mizener, Jeff Gibson1 Key challenges: Climate change and various harmful anthropogenic activities threaten the Introduction: The MNA region has rich marine success of these opportunities. The MNA region ecosystems that can play a key role in eroding is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate extreme poverty and promoting shared change which poses a great risk to marine prosperity through the Blue Economy—the resources through thermal stress, acidification, sustainable use of marine resources for economic oxygenation, and increased instances of extreme growth, improved livelihoods, jobs, and overall weather events. For example, increasing water ecosystem health. The Blue Economy includes a temperatures in the region will alter regional wide range of activities, from fisheries and species distribution and catch composition as aquaculture to other ecosystem services such as species migrate. Higher atmospheric CO2 carbon sequestration, coastal protection, and concentrations impact water pH levels. Warmer biodiversity.i For example, MNA has large water holds less oxygen which impacts the coastal areas important to the livelihoods of viability of seafood that holds nutritional and hundreds of thousands of people, many of them economic value for the region (i.e. crustaceans). poor and vulnerable. These include fisheries and Low-oxygen “dead zones”—areas devoid of aquaculture, much of it small-scale and marine life—have quadrupled since 1950, increasing substantially in recent years, from including an area the size of Scotland recently 2,484,644 and 393,987 metric tons, respectively, in discovered in the Arabian Sea off the coast of 2000 to 4,743,814 and 1,820,983 metric tons in Yemen and Oman.iv Additionally, sea level rise 2016.ii Many MNA countries rely heavily on contributes to coastal erosion, property imports for food and fisheries and aquaculture inundation, and saltwater intrusion into supplement the food supply, impacting food freshwater supplies and agricultural irrigation. security and nutritional diversity. These Climate change can also be a threat multiplier ecosystems also play a role in climate change amplifying existing fragilities, such as conflict mitigation and adaptation as seas absorb carbon over natural resources. Anthropogenic activities, dioxide (CO2) and coastal habitats, like mangrove such as overfishing and habitat degradation, also forests and sea grass beds, sequester carbon and stresses marine resources. Overfishing depletes help to protect coastlines, preventing erosion MNA fish stocks and indirectly degrades from floods and storms. Integrated coastal zone ecosystems through bycatch - the accidental management (ICZM)—which coordinate capture of untargeted species. Destructive policies, activities, and investments impacting practices like bottom trawling, dredging, coastal and maritime resources—are critical to longlining, and gillnetting. Unregulated coastal capturing the opportunities of the Blue development, deforestation, and mining, as well Economy.iii as pollution also impact habitat degradation limiting the potential of the Blue Economy. 1 With the ENR Global Practice (Middle East and North Africa Team) January 2019 · Number 172· 3 An integrated response: Addressing these embarking in ICZM and expanding the blue challenges urgently, and at a systemic level, is portfolio has the potential to serve as a catalyst important to the development of a for sustainable economic growth, improved comprehensive approach that facilitates livelihoods, social inclusion, and more resilient successful, long-term engagement in the Blue oceans and coastal areas. This applies across Economy. Such an approach will need to go MNA and potential examples include: beyond piecemeal activities and should incorporate elements to strengthen governance, Expanding on Opportunities in Egypt: enhance data, and expand market access, all with Aquaculture in Egypt has grown significantly an inclusive lens that considers the poor and over two decades highlighting the Blue vulnerable groups. For example, improving the Economy’s potential. It is the largest source of governance of the management of marine fish, contributing to 65% of fish productionvi, is ecosystems, through the promotion, regulation, the least expensive animal food source and monitoring of practices is an important (specifically tilapia) and crucial to the food contributor to curbing unsustainable practices security of the poor and vulnerable.vii The (i.e. illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing sector’s growth and expansion and others etc.), building resilience to the impacts of climate dependent on marine resources, will require an change, and protecting the livelihoods of poor integrated approach addressing key constraints and vulnerable. Disruptive technology could including inefficient policies, lack of access to strengthen data collection on marine resources, modern technologies, high production costs, and such as catch volume and composition, ocean the Nile’s decreasing water quality of the Nile, its health, pollution, fish stocks, and climate impacts tributaries and the Mediterranean’s coastal and improving valuation of these resources and waters due to municipal and industrial effluents, other ecosystem services. This will inform agricultural drainage, and decreasing flow. decision-making and facilitate evidence-based Opportunities exist to invest in blue growth policy-making. With a view to incentivizing and through support to ICZM, fisheries reform, promoting sustainable practices and creating institutional and community capacity jobs, improving market infrastructure and access, development, and cost-effective sewage runoff especially for small scale and artisanal fishers, treatment to maximize Egypt’s access to present opportunities to capture inclusive Mediterranean and Red Sea marine ecosystems. growth, catalyze investments (including through the private sector) and increase resilience. For Tapping into Djibouti’s Potential: The fisheries example, there is an increase in demand for sector in Djibouti has an approximate yield of sustainable seafood, particularly in Europe and 1,800 metric tons even though the sustainable North America. Investments in market exploitable potential is estimated to be more than infrastructure, inputs, and capacity can take 30,000 metric tons.viii The Blue Economy, through advantage of this demand while building the fisheries and other avenues, can improve resilience of MNA’s natural resources. livelihoods, food security, and resilience strengthening in a lasting and equitable manner. World Bank engagement in the Blue Economy: Opportunities involve addressing key The World Bank has adopted such a constraints by supporting ICZM through the comprehensive approach and is committed to facilitation of an enabling environment for the leveraging its capital, technical expertise, and private sector through increased market access convening power in the Blue Economy. v Over the and the promotion of international sanitary last 10 years the World Bank has very standards, supply chain development (including successfully scaled up its Blue economy increasing access to technology), strengthening investment program. Its active Blue Economy institutional capacity for marine and coastal portfolio—which includes projects that include resource management, investing in high activities such as ICZM, regional fisheries and potential sectors like tourism, and promoting aquaculture programs, and marine pollution local demand for seafood by raising public management—is around $4.1 billion, with a awareness on its benefits. Such activities should further $1.5 billion in the pipeline. Systematically also seek to conserve and protect coastal and January 2019 · Number 172· 2 marine resources; particularly, in light of development and job creation. Its coast is home environmental risks surrounding high urban to over 65% of the population and contributes to growth and Djibouti’s vulnerability to climate- important economic activities; notably, travel related shocks and stressors. and tourism. For example, in 2016, travel and tourism contributed to 13.7% of the GDP and Diversifying in Algeria: Algeria is far from its 12.6% of total employment—430,000 jobs.xii potential and establishing an integrated Climate change has a severe impact of this sector, approach could enable the Blue Economy to feed among others, as Tunisia is very exposed to sea- a growing population, promote economic level rise. While the Government of Tunisia has diversity, meet future energy demands, and taken several steps to protect its coastal assets build resilience to climate change. For example, and build its resilience to climate change, there is fishing, though a traditional vocation, is not fully a need for a clear development plan, enhanced exploited.ix Opportunities include modernization capacity, and additional investments. An ICZM of fishing fleets and processing facilities. plan would include measures to protect Aquaculture development is prioritized by the biodiversity and natural resources key to the Government and investments in access to inputs, travel and tourism sector, such as investments to such as feed, and capacity building for farmers decrease shoreline erosion (i.e. breakwaters, could fuel job growth and increase food security seawalls, levees, protection of reefs, beaches, and nutrition through affordable sources of barrier islands, dunes, and vegetative buffer protein. The energy sector can also contribute; for zones), but should also address key issues such instance, through offshore wind farms. Current as urbanization, pollution, lack of public and future investment in this sector is in direct awareness and participation in natural resource response to the Government’s commitments to management, as well as the exploration of integrate renewable electricity into its markets opportunities to leverage private sector capital and will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse and resources to address climate change and gas emissions, diversify the economy, create jobs, strengthen value chains of the Blue Economy. and present a viable option for increased private sector engagement. Building off experience in Morocco: Coastal zones and related ecosystems are critical to Morocco’s Restoring engagement in Yemen: Traditionally, growth, with high potential to provide fisheries have played a critical role in Yemen. employment and contribute to food security Two million people depended on fisheries which through sectors such as tourism, agriculture, was the second largest revenue earner after oil fisheries, and other natural resource-based before the war.x Support to ICZM, the fisheries activities. However, their sustainability is sector, and other Blue Economy activities threatened by rapid urbanization, associated remains crucial for Yemen’s development. Since competition over the use of and access to natural the beginning of the crisis, the fisheries sector has resources, and the impacts of climate change (i.e. seen a 50% drop in production with 65% sea-level rise, coastal erosion, increased water fishermen unemployed.xi This disruption in temperature, increased salinity of water production has degraded human capital, with supply)—all necessitating a clearly defined significant impacts on public health and child roadmap to inform development planning, foster development. Remedies include emergency dialogue, and build capacity to manage the restoration and strengthening of key inputs and coastal zones sustainably while improving infrastructure (e.g. fishing boats, cold storage, livelihoods. The recently closed Integrated access roads, and landing sites), via cash support, Coastal Zone Management Project (P121217) short-term employment, and other support to piloted the application an ICZM approach in reconstruction and rehabilitation. A focus on Morocco’s Eastern Mediterranean coast. Key gender issues and supporting the vulnerable and activities included institutional strengthening, marginalized will enhance social stability. capacity building, mainstreaming ICZM in local development, civil works restoring wetlands and Protecting coastal assets in Tunisia: Tunisia’s dunes, pilot fisheries, and promotion of eco- Blue Economy is important to sustainable tourism. The pilot’s success is due to strong local January 2019 · Number 172· 3 ownership through intensive training, capacity countries increase resilience to climate-related building, and public awareness raising - key to shocks and mitigating stressors in coastal areas. sustaining and scaling-up the ICZM approach in These actions could provide the momentum to Morocco and replicating in neighboring scale up efforts and boost regional cooperation countries.xiii and expanding the World Bank’s blue portfolio in an inclusive manner for greater jobs, income, Conclusion: Taking advantage of ICZM and and food while safeguarding marine resources MNA’s Blue Economy opportunities requires for the future. countries to invest in strengthening institutions, policies, and strategies for sustainable development, catalyze investments to restore and protect coastal habitats, scale up aquaculture and modernize fisheries, explore new sectors and markets, and facilitate community participation in resource management – all directly aligned with the Blue Economy work programxiv, Sustainable Development Goal 14xv, resources such as PROBLUExvi, as well as the WBG’s new climate targets for 2021-2025xvii which doubles current investments to around $200 billion for ambitious climate change actions such as helping i World Bank and United Nations Department of viii World Bank Group. 2013. Djibouti – Country Economic and Social Affairs. 2017. The Potential Partnership Strategy for the period FY2014-2017. of the Blue Economy: Increasing Long-term Benefits of the Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2QypDei Sustainable Use of Marine Resources for Small Island ix FAO. 2015. Fisheries and Aquaculture Country Profiles: Developing States and Coastal Least Developed Countries. The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. Retrieved Retrieved from from http://www.fao.org/fishery/facp/DZA/en https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/1098 x FAO. 2018. Yemen, Plan of Action: Strengthening 6/26843 resilient agricultural livelihoods (2018-2020). Retrieved ii FAO. 2018. FAO Yearbook of fishery and aquaculture from statistics 2016. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/resilience/resources/resources- http://www.fao.org/3/i9942t/I9942T.pdf detail/en/c/1113449/ iii World Bank and United Nations Department of xi UNOCHA. 2017. The humanitarian situation in Yemen Economic and Social Affairs. 2017. The Potential in facts and figures. Retrieved from of the Blue Economy: Increasing Long-term Benefits of the https://bit.ly/2eW9kml Sustainable Use of Marine Resources for Small Island xii World Travel & Tourism Council. 2018. Travel & Developing States and Coastal Least Developed Countries. Tourism: Economic Impact 2017 – Tunisia. London, UK. Retrieved from Retrieved https://bit.ly/2RSDI2O. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/1098 xiii World Bank. 2018. Implementation Completion and 6/26843 Results Report. World Bank, Washington, DC, USA. iv Breitburg et al. (2018). Declining oxygen in the Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2zWHIbJ. global ocean and coastal waters. Science, 359(6371), xiv World Bank. 2018. Oceans, Fisheries and Coastal eaam7240. DOI: 10.1126/science.aam7240. Economies. Retrieved from v World Bank. 2016. Blue Economy Development https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment Framework—Growing the Blue Economy to Combat /brief/oceans Poverty and Accelerate Prosperity. Retrieved from xv Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and https://bit.ly/2rzOjUO marine resources for sustainable development vi FAO. 2010. National Aquaculture Sector Overview. xvi World Bank. 2018. World Bank Announced New Egypt. Retrieved from Global Fund for Healthy Oceans. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/naso_egypt/en https://bit.ly/2PC2Qcs vii Ababouch, Lahsen. (2015). Fisheries and Aquaculture xvii World Bank Group. 2018. Adaptation & Resilience in the Context of the Blue Economy. Retrieved from Action Plan: Key Messages. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2PmHsf2. https://bit.ly/2BnJ0wy. January 2019 · Number 172· 4