Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
12.2 How well have we been doing? Progress since the 1992
Rio Summit on Sustainable Development
ocean commitments from the 1992 Earth Summit and the 2002 World Summit on Sustain-
able Development.
The authors state that Ecosystem-Based Management/ Integrated Coastal Management
(EBM/ICM) is now widely accepted internationally and is being applied both at the national
as well as regional levels, including through Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) projects. Fu-
ture efforts should focus on improvements in institutional decision-making processes and
on enhancing integration of this approach in the UN system, including in relation to areas
beyondnational jurisdiction. Inaddition toinstitutional considerations, effective implement-
ation of EBM/ICM has suffered from lack of data on ecosystem structure and functioning,
and from limited funding.
Inthecontext ofthe1995Global Programme ofAction fortheProtection oftheMarine
Environment (GPA), efforts to reduce the impacts of land-based activities on the marine
environment are being pursued. Over 70 countries have developed National Programmes
of Action in support of implementation of the GPA, and regional programmes to mitigate
marine pollution have been developed in the context of the Regional Seas Programmes.
However, degradation of the marine environment as a consequence of sewage, excess of nu-
trients, marine litter, and alteration and destruction of physical habitats continues. Progress
in the implementation of GPA provisions has been affected by a lack of public education and
awareness, limited political will, inadequate financial and human resources, and the frag-
mentation of legal and institutional arrangements, as well as lack of or limitations in com-
pliance, enforcement, and reporting mechanisms.
In terms of efforts aimed at advancing the protection of biodiversity, including through
the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the authors note that the global goal of
10% MPA coverage by 2012 is far from being met, while marine biodiversity continues to
