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The Living Blue Planet Report 2015 documents a 49% decline in global marine vertebrate populations between 1970 and 2012. It highlights critical losses in key habitats, including over half of reef-building corals in tropical reefs over 30 years and nearly 20% of mangrove cover between 1980 and 2005. The report identifies overfishing, climate change, pollution, and extractive industries as primary drivers of this degradation. It emphasizes the socio-economic risks, noting that nearly 3 billion people rely on fish as a major protein source and that the ocean generates at least US$2.5 trillion in annual economic benefits. The document advocates for the 'One Planet Perspective' framework, which includes expanding Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to 30% to potentially generate up to US$920 billion by 2050.

The report identifies Seychelles as highly vulnerable to sea-level rise and ocean warming, which threaten its fisheries, tourism, and water security. It finds that while the University of Seychelles is in its infancy and has limited research output, there is significant potential for it to lead a national CCD framework. Current climate research is primarily driven by NGOs and international agencies. The document recommends the establishment of a strategic national research framework and the integration of CCD into higher education curricula to address critical gaps in technical expertise and evidence-based policy making.

The document analyzes National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs) as mechanisms for stakeholder engagement in national sustainable development strategies (NSDSs). It categorizes NCSDs by membership—government-only, mixed, or non-governmental—and evaluates the strengths and challenges of each. The briefing identifies key success factors, such as the appointment of independent chairs and the maintenance of a 'critical friend' relationship with government, while detailing the core functions of NCSDs in strategy creation, policy implementation, monitoring, and international outreach.

The document analyzes the shift in piracy activity from the Horn of Africa to the Gulf of Guinea. While international efforts led to a dramatic decline in Somali piracy, West African piracy increased in 2012, driven primarily by the theft of refined petroleum products linked to illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta. The author highlights the regional approach to security in West Africa, including the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS) and the establishment of an Inter-regional Coordination Centre in Yaoundé, while noting persistent challenges in intelligence gathering and inter-operability.

The document argues that climate change disproportionately harms disadvantaged people and that current policies are failing to achieve gender equality and low-carbon commitments. It calls for the integration of gender equality and low-carbon development goals to avoid 'maladaptation' and ensure just transitions. The call to action provides specific recommendations for governments, multilateral organisations, the private sector, and LGBTQIA+ movements to foster gender-equitable 'green' and 'blue' economies, improve women's access to resources, and increase the climate literacy of gender equality movements.

The report values South Africa's commercial fishing industry, highlighting its significant contribution to the Western Cape's economy and the risks posed by marine phosphate mining. It finds that the hake and small-pelagic sectors are the most economically valuable, with substantial spatial overlap between their fishing grounds and proposed mining areas. The analysis warns that mining could lead to habitat destruction, water quality deterioration, and loss of MSC certification, while noting significant uncertainty regarding the actual scale of these impacts.

The document outlines specific recommendations for the European Parliament's Environment Committee to reform the post-2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The NGOs advocate for the elimination of subsidies that increase fishing capacity, the ring-fencing of 30% of the budget for marine biodiversity and ecosystem protection, and the increase of monitoring and control funding from 15% to 30%. They further call for financial support to be conditional on compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and EU environmental law, while urging the removal of funding for temporary cessation of fishing activities.

International public adaptation finance for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) averaged just over $2 billion annually in 2021–2022, representing only 0.2% of global climate finance. This is significantly below the estimated annual need of $11.7 billion required between 2023 and 2035. The report highlights a critical reliance on debt, which accounted for 44% of flows, and a lack of correlation between finance volumes and climate vulnerability. It advocates for replacing ODA eligibility criteria with a multidimensional vulnerability index to improve access to concessional funding.

AquaMnara, supported by FSD Africa's TECA project, provides aquaculture farmers in Kisumu, Kenya, with technical support, value chain linkages, and financial facilitation to improve climate resilience and production. The startup focuses on sustainable practices, water quality management, and empowering women in the sector through a dedicated 'women in aquaculture' programme.

The document details a pilot project by Wezesha Aqua Farms, supported by FSD Africa's Triggering Exponential Climate Action (TECA) initiative, to introduce cage fishing in Mwanza, Tanzania. This aquaculture approach aims to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as fish migration to deeper waters and stock declines, by allowing communities to rear fish year-round. The project utilizes a pay-as-you-use or lease model for cages costing approximately 8.5 million Tanzanian Shillings (USD 3,500), targeting the Victoria Blue Cooperative Society. Initial results show increased community interest in aquaculture investments, particularly among women.

The ocean and coastal ecosystems are critical for global biodiversity, food security, and carbon sequestration, but they face severe threats from climate change and pollution. Despite an estimated annual funding need of USD 175 billion to USD 459 billion to safeguard the ocean, only USD 11 billion has been invested via philanthropy and Official Development Assistance over the last decade. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) aims to close this gap by creating enabling environments, catalysing innovation, de-risking projects to mobilise private finance, and strengthening national financial institutions through tools like blue bonds and debt swaps. Current GCF initiatives include the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, targeting 17 countries with a USD 500 million project value, and the Blue Action Fund, focusing on coastal resilience in the Western Indian Ocean region.

The document describes the 'Blue Acceleration'—the rapid, unprecedented growth of ocean-based industries—and argues that its benefits disproportionately flow to powerful states and corporations while risks are borne by SIDS and LDCs. It highlights the multidimensional nature of ocean risks, including biophysical, social, and financial dimensions, and emphasizes the need for gender-transformative approaches and intersectional analysis to ensure an equitable ocean economy. The text calls for increased domestic technical capacity in SIDS and LDCs, the integration of indigenous knowledge, and the mainstreaming of gender equality and equity in ocean finance and Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The document examines the critical state of biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting threats such as 'empty forest syndrome,' gold mining in the Amazon, and the impact of global commodity trade. It emphasizes the vital role of ecosystem services—such as water regulation in Andean páramos and soil health for agriculture—and argues for a shift from an extractivist logic to an inclusive conservation model that integrates indigenous knowledge and territorial rights. The text also explores the nexus between biodiversity and human health, the potential of a sustainable blue economy, and the risks associated with the 'green extractivism' of lithium mining for the energy transition.

The document assesses the critical loss of biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the 'empty forest syndrome' and the desertification of the Amazon due to gold mining. It emphasizes the vital role of ecosystem services, such as the water-regulating capacity of Andean páramos and soil organic matter for sustainable agriculture. The text argues for 'inclusive conservation' that integrates indigenous territories and traditional knowledge, noting that indigenous lands often maintain higher biodiversity. It also discusses the 'blue economy' potential of the region's marine ecosystems and the risks of 'green extractivism,' specifically how lithium mining for the global energy transition threatens Andean water resources. Finally, it examines how international trade in commodities, such as soy and leather from the Gran Chaco, drives deforestation, and advocates for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Escazú Agreement to ensure environmental justice and peace.

The IISD is implementing a project to address the marginalization of poor producers in sustainable markets. While sustainable agricultural production is growing—reaching 20% of global palm oil and 30% of cocoa—production remains concentrated in advanced, export-oriented economies. To counter this, the IISD's Sustainability Standards Initiative (SSI) provides data, digital platforms, and advisory services to help least developed countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America strategically access value-added sustainable markets and align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The IISD project 'Tirer parti des marchés durables pour réduire la pauvreté et favoriser le développement durable' aims to prevent the marginalization of poor producers in least developed countries. By increasing transparency and providing data on over 400 voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), the project seeks to enable these countries to develop evidence-based strategies for sustainable production and market access. The initiative includes data collection, a digital platform, and tailored advisory services, initially targeting six pilot countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

South Africa is developing a sovereign maritime domain awareness (MDA) architecture to protect its 'island economy' and secure key shipping routes. Given its geostrategic location and extensive maritime zones, the country requires a more coordinated strategic approach to maritime surveillance to enhance security and protect interests both within and beyond its Exclusive Economic Zone.

The document argues that marine and coastal ecosystems in Africa are under severe threat from climate change, including sea level rise and tropical storms, but can support community adaptation if protected and restored. It defines Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to enhance resilience to climate shocks. The statement provides eight key recommendations for COP27, focusing on incorporating EbA into Nationally Determined Contributions, securing innovative financing, improving community-led governance, and promoting nature-based solutions in coastal cities.

The document presents a logic model for SAIIA's G20 engagement, linking research on themes such as climate finance and debt sustainability to the goal of more inclusive global governance. By conducting research and engaging with the T20 and T20 Africa, SAIIA aims to increase the awareness of African policymakers and secure the inclusion of African policy inputs in the G20 agenda and T20 Communiqué.

The document analyzes the shift in Indian foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi toward a more assertive, geo-economic approach. It examines how India integrates Africa into its strategic calculations, particularly regarding energy security, maritime security in the Indian Ocean, and competition with China. The paper details the history of the India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), the use of lines of credit (LOCs) for infrastructure, and the potential for aligning Indian engagement with Africa's Agenda 2063 and the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy.