Transcript US$2.4 billion / year - Asian Judges Network on Environment

The State of Asia Pacific Coral and
Marine Ecosystems and their
Economic Value
Eleanor Carter
Second Asian Judges Symposium on Environment,
Manila, December 2013
Critical Marine Ecosystems
in Asia Pacific
Coral Reefs
Seagrass
Mangroves
Engines of the Ocean
• Nursery for > 25% of all marine life globally
• Cover < 1% of ocean
• Asia Pacific has highest diversity and productivity
Southeast Asia
Highest population dependency on reef systems
Coral Triangle ~ 1/3 of worlds coral reefs
Essential Natural Capital
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Fisheries & Food Security
Tourism & Recreation
Resilience against Climate Change
Defense system for Coastal Development
Medicines
Fisheries & Food Security
• Southeast Asia coral reef fisheries
= US$2.4 billion / year (WRI, 2002)
• Coastal fisheries resources in the Coral
Triangle (2010) - (ADB, 2013)
- supported livelihoods & food security
for > 373 million people
- contributed 11.3% (19.1 tns) of all
global capture fisheries and aquaculture
production.
- provides 1.2% to 6.8% of GDP in CT6
nations
• Av. 36% of protein needs (up to 80% in
remote / rural locations) (CRA,2013)
• Indonesia - 95% harvest from artisanal
fishers (FAO, 2013)
Tourism & Recreation
• High value habitats for
tourism
• Reef associated tourism up to 30% of national
export earnings AP
(World Bank, 2010)
• $18 billion USD / yr
generated in the Coral
Triangle
Resilience against Climate Change
• Blue Carbon – 60% of global potential in Asia and Oceania
Est. $10-$20/ton value under EU Emissions Trading Scheme (Siikamaki et al., 2012)
• Defenses against storm-surges
Defense system for
Coastal Development
Coral reefs mitigate
75-95 % of wave
energy
(Brander et al., 2004)
Example: Loss of 11 & 2% (respectively)
of the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman
Sea coastlines is equivalent to loss of
US$156 million real estate value
(World Bank 2006).
Medicines
• Prospects of new
medicines 300-400 times
greater than terrestrial
ecosystems (Bruckner, 2006)
• Japan investing up to $1
billion research each year
Treatments currently available for:
CANCER, ARTHRITUS, ASTHMA, ULCERS,
BACTERIAL INFECTIONS, HEART DISEASE,
VIRUSES, etc etc
Overall Economic Value of Resources
© 2013 The Coral Reef Alliance
Example: Malacca Straits coral reefs = ‘combined’ economic value of US$ 563 million
(WRI, 2011)
Status of Natural Capital
Rapidly declining habitats & resources
75% reefs globally under threat (WRI, 2011)
20% world mangroves destroyed
“.. stocks of all species currently fished for food are predicted
to collapse by 2048.” (Worm et al, 2006)
Asia Pacific
• Threats “..most severe
in Southeast Asia”
• 95% reefs threatened
• 50% classified as ‘high’
or ‘very high’ threat
status
(WRI,2011)
Causes of decline
• Habitat removal /
destruction
• Pollution
• Sedimentation
• Overfishing
• Destructive Fishing
• Climate change
Top Threats
Overfishing & Destructive Fishing
Est. net economic
loss from blast
fishing in Indonesia
~ US$570 million
over the next 20
years
(WRI,2011)
Challenges of fisheries
management & enforcement
• Licensing
• Regulating &
enforcing
sustainable catch
quota’s
• Enforcing protected
areas (refuge’s for
breeding stock)
Habitat removal / destruction
Ex: Loss of original mangrove
cover by early 1990’s
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Malaysia ~ 75%
Thailand ~ 84 %
Vietnam ~ 37 %
Myanmar ~ 75%
Philippines ~ 67 %
Brunei ~ 20 %
Indonesia ~ 55%
(Burke, 2001)
Anticipated net benefits & losses
2002 - 2022
WRI, 2002
Summary
Coral and marine ecosystems
• Critical habitats for livelihoods, health and economy of nations
• Under considerable threat – declining rapidly
• Appropriate Legal & Judicial frameworks critical to sustain
natural capital
• Urgent need to close the gap between policy, legislation,
implementation & enforcement
Thank you
Eleanor Carter
Second Asian Judges Symposium on Environment,
Manila, December 2013