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The Blue Forests Project Showcase Event and Webinar Series

A summary of events

By Blue Forests Project

July 15^th, 2021

The Blue Forests Project held its final webinar yesterday, marking the close of the Month of Blue Forests webinar series and the Communities, Climate and Coastal Ecosystems showcase event. Below is a summary of each event. To catch up with recordings from all sessions, please visit our YouTube channel.

Showcase Event, Day 1

Session 1: https://youtu.be/bKOa_nu07A8

Session 2: https://youtu.be/qymW1uwqsNs

The Blue Forests Project Showcase Event and Webinar Series

The Communities, Climate and Coastal Ecosystems showcase event opened with remarks from Leah Karrer, Senior Environmental Specialist within the Global Environment Facility, who introduced the event and emphasized the need for adopting a blue economy approach within climate policy. Following this address was Leticia Carvalho, Head of the Marine and Freshwater Branch with the UN Environment Programme, who opened the showcase event with a presentation on the development of the Blue Forests Project and its significance in providing a holistic, nature-based approach to harnessing the value of blue forests.

After opening remarks, the Blue Forests Project coordinator, Steven Lutz of GRID-Arendal, gave a brief presentation explaining the impetus and history behind the Blue Forests Project, highlighting the project’s accomplishments in coastal locations around the world.

This presentation was followed by the main session of the day– a high-level panel of international experts in the blue carbon field who contextualized recent national developments in blue forests policy for addressing climate change goals. The panel was comprised of Mark J. Spalding, President of The Ocean Foundation in the United States; Dr Pacifica Achieng Ogola, Director of Climate Change within the Department of Climate and Forestry in Kenya; Amb. Ronny Jumeau, former Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues of the Republic of Seychelles; Stephanie Ockenden, official within the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the United Kingdom; and Peter M. Haugan, Programme Director for Global Development at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway.

Showcase Event, Day 2

Session 1: https://youtu.be/Ox9OaChpn74

Session 2: https://youtu.be/l4Q2CZlqzHA

The second day of the Communities, Climate and Coastal Ecosystems showcase event opened with another presentation by Steven Lutz, who introduced project site locations with greater detail and also announced the launch of the Blue Solutions toolkit website – an engaging and accessible resource to assist project practitioners develop and replicate new blue forests initiatives (www.blueforestsolutions.org).

This was followed by a series of presentations given by Blue Forests Project co-finance recipients to elaborate on the key components, successes and lessons learned of the Blue Forests Project in select locations. Dr. James Kairo of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute and Leah Glass of Blue Ventures co-presented first on the impacts of the Mikoko Pamoja and Vanga Blue Forest mangrove carbon finance projects in Kenya and the local fisheries and resource management approaches in Madagascar, respectively. Montserrat Alban of Conservation International presented next on community mangrove conservation agreements in Ecuador, highlighting the successes and challenges of working with fisheries associations to protect local mangrove forests. Dr Steve Crooks of Silvestrum Climate Associates then followed with a presentation on the carbon measuring and accounting methodologies used within the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project in the UAE, with Dorothée Herr of IUCN presenting last on recent developments for international blue carbon policy.

These presenters then assembled for an audience Q&A panel, moderated by Tiina Kurvits of GRID-Arendal, where location-specific questions were asked regarding topics such as future replication opportunities, COVID-19 and community resilience, blue carbon and NDC commitments, and barriers to carbon offset projects.

In the final session of the day, Ben Scheelk, Programme Officer with The Ocean Foundation, closed with a presentation titled, “Prioritizing Large-Scale Coastal Habitat Restoration in the Wider Caribbean Region” to introduce an innovative restoration methodology developed by The Ocean Foundation, UN Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility. This methodology provides a “scorecard” which identifies feasibility and need indicators to prioritize habitat restoration and pollution reduction projects in the Caribbean region.

Webinar #1: Blue Forests Policy

Webinar #1 recording: https://youtu.be/KSZiqVqfe80

Photo credit: Jane Glavan / Distant Imagery

The Communities, Climate and Coastal Ecosystems showcase event was directly followed with the first webinar of the Month of Blue Forests webinar series on Thursday, June 17, 2021. The theme of the first webinar was blue forests policy, with Gabriel Grimsditch of UN Environment moderating a panel of international experts who work with the implementation blue carbon and blue forests policy on multiple scales of governance. The panel was comprised of Angela Rubilla of the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative, Joseph Lang’at of the Kenyan Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, and Dalilah Sequeira of WWF Mozambique.

The panel addressed the processes and challenges associated with implementing national blue carbon policy schemes – primarily those related to coastal ecosystem management and implementation of blue carbon into nationally determined contributions. At the local scale, Ms. Sequeria and Ms. Rubilla spoke to the importance of community outreach through different educational mediums and trainings to increase local capacity and knowledge, while Mr. Lang’at described how community organizations can be formed and what local benefits can be derived from a blue carbon offset project.

Webinar #2: Blue Forests Communities and Social Justice

Webinar #2 recording: https://youtu.be/ZpF8JtmzMF4

On June 24, 2021, the Month of Blue Forests continued with its second webinar titled, “Blue Forests Communities and Social Justice” where a diverse group of panellists discussed questions of equity, access, and participatory decision-making processes. The panel began with a brief presentation by Steven Lutz, who described the impetus behind creating a “Blue Carbon Code of Conduct” in 2017 and articulated why these principles are significant for community-led blue forests initiatives. During the presentation, Mr. Lutz referred to the work of Marie-Christine Cormier-Salem, who has researched environmental injustices within mangrove restoration projects in Africa, and Mr. Lutz poignantly stated that projects which failed in their social justice and equity deliverables ought to still be discussed in order for future blue forests initiatives to avoid similar missteps.

Montserrat Alban of Conservation International – Ecuador, Rahma Kivugo of the Mikoko Pamoja Carbon Offset Project in Kenya, and Cicelin Rakotomahazo of Blue Ventures in Madagascar all provided on-the-ground perspectives and experiences, while Nathan Bennett of the Peopled Seas Initiative approached the panel from an academic perspective, offering thoughtful insight from his research on marine conservation and environmental justice.

The panel, moderated by the Blue Forests Project Manager Tiina Kurvits of GRID-Arendal, elaborated on several topics often left undiscussed in blue carbon discourse. Particularly, topics like power dynamics between international NGOs and communities, inter-communal disputes over access to resources, and community decision-making processes for distributing funds and resources were examined. The panel closed on an optimistic note, with all panellists echoing the need for future in-depth discussions about environmental and social justice in the context of community-led blue forests initiatives.

Webinar #3: Blue Forests Science for the Oceans We Want

Webinar #3 recording: https://youtu.be/B_huhkcvlgg

The next instalment of the Month of Blue Forests webinar series continued on July 1, 2021, with a webinar titled, “Blue Forests Science for the Oceans We Want” which is a direct reference to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. This webinar highlighted the scientific components and deliverables of the Blue Forests Project, while also discussing the different applications of carbon science to policymaking. The panel, moderated by Linwood Pendleton – Executive Director of the Ocean Knowledge Action Network and International Chair of Excellence the European Institute for Marine Studies in Brittany, France – included Dr. Steve Crooks of Silvestrum Climate Associates; Angelique Pouponneau of the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust; Leah Glass of Blue Ventures; and Martin Gullström of Södertörn University, Sweden.

The panel discussed some of the key lessons learned from panellists’ experiences carrying out blue carbon research in the field, particularly with Dr. Crooks, Ms. Glass and Mr. Gullström elaborating upon the process and methodologies used when assessing carbon stocks in mangrove forests and seagrass meadows. The panel emphasized the importance of increasing ocean science literacy when communicating scientific assessments and data with local communities as well as policymakers in order to push blue carbon policy to the forefront of national climate change mitigation strategies. Ms. Pouponneau provided a concrete example of how accessible scientific information for policymakers can directly influence climate policy, as has been achieved in the Seychelles with the inclusion of seagrass carbon into the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

Webinar #4: New Technologies to Support Blue Forests Conservation

Webinar #4 recording: https://youtu.be/m8AQ5C4z0ZQ

On July 8, 2021, the fourth webinar of the Month of Blue Forests webinar series continued with the topic, “New Technologies to Support Blue Forests Conservation”, which focused on innovative remote mapping and monitoring technologies and methodologies used to enhance conservation efforts of blue forests ecosystems around the world. The webinar opened with a presentation from moderator Jane Glavan of Distant Imagery, who provided the audience with the immersive experience of seeing 360 video tours of select Blue Forests Project sites.

The panel was comprised of Sara Pruckner of UNEP-WCMC, Cory Rhodes of Distant Imagery, Max Yancho and Dr. Trevor Jones of Blue Ventures, and Dr. Nathan M Thomas of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland. Ms. Pruckner introduced the audience to UNEP-WCMC’s Blue Carbon Mapping Toolkit, which harmonizes traditional on-the-ground monitoring techniques in the field with remote data, while also serving as an information tool for policymakers. Mr. Rhodes described the low-cost drone mapping and monitoring technology utilized by Distant Imagery which is specifically geared toward developing coastal communities. Mr. Yancho and Dr. Jones provided insight into Blue Ventures’ Google Earth Engine Mangrove Mapping Methodology (GEEMMM) which provides communities a low-cost, accessible tool to support mangrove conservation and monitoring through remote sensing and cloud computing. Dr. Thomas also discussed how cloud computing, big data, and open-source software can be used to monitor ecosystem functions, biomass and carbon stocks of blue forests like mangroves and salt marshes.

Overall, the panel discussed a variety of affordable technologies available to further blue forests conservation efforts. Panellists provided specific information regarding how such tools can be easily used in remote areas around the world – particularly describing the capacity building and accessibility components necessary for scaling and replicating future blue carbon initiatives.

Webinar #5: Oceanic Blue Carbon

Webinar #5 recording: https://youtu.be/cf7pLLr3h50

Photo credit: Steven J Lutz / GRID-Arendal

The final webinar of the Month of Blue Forests webinar series occurred on July 15, 2021, focusing on oceanic blue carbon. Oceanic blue carbon refers to the natural ways that oceans and marine species can capture and store carbon. The webinar opened with moderator Steven Lutz giving an in-depth presentation to introduce the concept of oceanic blue carbon. Mr. Lutz also highlighted the launch of two unprecedented reports regarding national assessments of oceanic blue carbon science and policy in the United Arab Emirates – both products of the Blue Forests Project in partnership with GRID-Arendal, Blue Climate Solutions, and the Abu Dhabi Global Environment Data Initiative (AGEDI).

The panel was comprised of Dr. Ralph Chami, Assistant Director and Chief of Financial Policies Division in the Institute for Capacity Development at The International Monetary Fund; Bábara Galletti, President and Co-Founder of the Cetacea Conservation Center in Chile; and Dr. Trisha Atwood, Associate Professor at Utah State University.

The predominant question intertwined throughout discussion was how to create an economy around a living nature. Dr. Atwood provided insight regarding the basic scientific processes of animal carbon cycling in the high seas and marine sediments, while identifying the need for a mechanistic understanding of how different species groups influence this carbon cycling process. Ms. Galletti discussed the policy opportunities for valuing and conserving large marine species, while providing a concrete example of the Blue Boat Initiative in Chile as one potential intervention to protect whales. Dr. Chami expanded on the significant monetary value of whales, noting how cetaceans are considered an economic externality instead of a market asset.

The panel closed with all participants recognizing the need for an international symposium on oceanic blue carbon to further discussions within both science and policy fields.