Preservation of marine biodiversity deserves serious consideration as almost 65% of the earth's organisms (excluding insects) are marine. There is little knowledge at present on the status of marine biodiversity. However, the seas are an important source of protein for human consumption and genetic diversity is a key factor in ecosystem functioning, stability and resilience. Overfishing and destructive practices may have unalterable impact on marine biodiversity. This paper discusses measures that can be adopted to protect the most productive areas of the marine ecosystem.
Aquaculture is the fastest growing agricultural sector in the world; it can meet both the food security and cash needs of poor households in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Women’s involvement in aquaculture is more significant than often assumed. In many developing countries formal statistics often overlook the nature and extent of their vital contribution. Research on gender and aquaculture at the WorldFish Center identifies five key themes for consideration.
The issues relating to the management of the coastal zone are multi-faceted and some issues are largely intertwined with policy and development goals in larger administrative units. The natural boundaries of reef resources, the processes that support reef ecosystems, and the local or national affili ation of the people who benefit from them may transcend the boundaries of the local management units. Thus, efforts to arrest the decline in fish catch from and loss of biodiversi ty in reefs require that management interventions and assess-ment activities are carried out at varying scales.
The report reviews the current status and trends in water management in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS); assesses likely impacts of climate change on water resources to 2050 based on historical patterns and simulated projections; examines water management strategies in the context of climate and other changes; and identifies priority actions for governments and communities to improve resilience of the water sector and safeguard food production.
Fisheries and aquaculture both contribute to meeting the Millennium Development Goals but vulnerability to climate change threatens the contribution that they make to development. Impacts of climate change on small-scale fisheries are of great relevance to poverty reduction. Poverty undermines the resilience of social-ecological systems such as fisheries. The majority of the world’s 250 million fisherfolk lives in areas that are highly exposed to climate change.
Cambodia is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change on fisheries, which supply livelihoods for millions and up to 80% of all animal protein in the diet. Most fisheries are highly variable by nature and subject to environmental change, including climate change. Hydropower dam construction, intensified fishing pressure and macroeconomic drivers are likely to affect Cambodian fisheries more immediately and visibly than climate change.
Lakes Malawi, Malombe and Chilwa produce almost all the fish consumed in Malawi. The ecologies of these lakes are very different. These differences present significant challenges in implementing policies and management strategies that can sustain the livelihoods of people dependent on these lakes. Increasing fisheries exploitation, land transformation, irrigation and climate all threaten the flow of benefits from these remarkable water bodies.
Lake Chilwa produces between zero and 24,000 metric tons of fish per year, making it one of the most productive but variable lakes in Africa. The size of the lake varies seasonally and among years, sometimes drying completely. Its surrounding wetland and floodplain provide habitat for a diversity of birds and economically valuable grasses and reeds. When the lake has water, there is considerable activity on its shores and temporary fishing villages spring up. People move in and out of the lake basin in concert with these seasonal and longer term changes.
Nations of the Greater Mekong Subregion need to ‘rethink’ their agricultural industries to meet future food needs, given the social shifts and climate changes that are forecast for the coming decades. With better farming practices, and by managing agriculture within the wider context of natural ecosystems, nations could boost production and increase the wealth and resilience of poor people in rural communities. Demand for food is forecast to double by 2050, as populations swell and people’s dietary choices change.
The Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, shared by India and Bangladesh, is recognized as a global priority for biodiversity conservation. Sea level rise, due to climate change, threatens the long term persistence of the Sundarbans forests and its biodiversity. Among the forests’ biota is the only tiger (Panthera tigris) population in the world adapted for life in mangrove forests. Prior predictions on the impacts of sea level rise on the Sundarbans have been hampered by coarse elevation data in this low-lying region, where every centimeter counts.