CLIMATE CHANGE AND COASTAL ZONES- REGIONAL UPDATE

UNCLAS ACCRA 000155


DEPT FOR OES/PCI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EFIS KGHG PREL SG CV GH

SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE AND COASTAL ZONES- REGIONAL UPDATE

SUMMARY


1. Climate change, coastal zone, and fisheries issues are
increasingly addressed in unison as dominant variables in an
equation including politics, economics, social themes,
security, and biodiversity. During a recent TDY to Senegal
and Cape Verde, the REO met with host nation contacts, United
Nations Development Program (UNDP) representatives, USAID
Senegal, and members of the African Partnership Station (APS)
team. END SUMMARY.

CLIMATE CHANGE


2. The meetings with the UNDP representatives were especially
insightful. The UNDP message was clear and concise on all
fronts: Climate Change is a development issue and the four
pillars to the UNDP strategy to combat climate change are: 1)
Capacity building, 2) Adaptation, 3) Mitigation, and 4)
Mainstreaming. Mr. Benoit Lebot, UNDPs Regional Technical
Advisor who is based in Dakar and Mr. Christophe Nutall,
Director Hub for UNDP Innovative Partnerships, based in
Geneva, conveyed the same message during separate meetings and
again during a conference in Dakar on February 6, 2009 to
discuss the potential influence that a territorial
collaboration can have on the national front. Several
speakers at the conference referenced the State of California
and its "exemplary climate change initiatives" and the new
world Climate Change context given by President Obama when he
referred to the significant role he is giving to individual
United States when to address climate change issues.


3. Mr. Nutall noted that Margret Kim, Senior International
Climate Policy Advisor and China's Program Director of the
California Air resources Board, is working with the with the
UN to develop UN-California strategy with associations of
regions including the Climate Group to advocate the roles of
States, Regions and Provinces for a Kyoto II type mechanisms.
Ms. Kim is scheduled to be in New York on 23 February 2009 to
explore next steps in sub-national collaboration with United
Nations Climate Change officials.


4. The UNDP representatives in Praia, Mrs. Eunice Gomes and
Mr. Jose Levy, reiterated the same message as their colleagues
in Dakar. The path forward involves capacity building,
education on adaptation, mitigation and the mainstreaming of
climate change initiatives into all economic sectors. NOTE:
Cape Verde continues to move forward with renewable energy
initiatives. Praia seems to be fully committed to the non
binding pledges submitted during WIREC 2008 to increase
electricity production via renewable energy sources. Mr. Rito
Manuel Evora of the Agency of Economic Regulation noted during
his meeting with the REO that Cape Verde is moving forward
with the development of four wind parks with a total
electrical generating capacity of 28 megawatts on four
separate islands. It was not clear if U.S. companies are
involved in the bidding process to supply components and or
construct these wind parks during this meeting. It did seem
as if the host nation entities recently cleared certain
internal administrative hurdles but the project seems to be in
the planning stages. The project schedule was not available
at the time of the meeting. END NOTE.

COASTAL ZONES AND FISHERIES


5. The lack of sustainable integrated coastal zone management
and sustainable fisheries management combine to: feed the
concerns of many, fuel tension between some, and continue to
generate illicit profits for a select few. Beach sand mining
(supporting the construction industry in some of the major
coastal urban centers in West and Central Africa) and illegal
fishing continue to reduce the biodiversity in the costal zone
and in the marine fisheries environment. In Dakar, USAID
Senegal hosted an interagency forum on integrated coastal
resources management with DoD, AFRICOM, NOAA, and others to
capture the essence of the multiple USG efforts in the region
and to promote the coordination of future efforts in the
coastal zone to improve biodiversity and to combat illegal
fishing.


6. Estimates indicate that illegal fishing costs Africa
around $1 billion annually due to lost revenue. There is
rising concern over shrinking fish stocks related to the
overall food security concern, and illicit fishing can and in
some cases does support other illicit maritime activity in the
region. The Senegalese Director for Maritime Surveillance and
Protection provided an overview of his organization?s mission,
which is to provide monitoring, control and surveillance along
Senegalese Coast. The director seemed optimistic about
improved multinational cooperation with Guinea Bissau and he
projected there would be a regulatory tax designed to support
improved vessel monitoring and a scheme to aid fishermen in
fielding vessel borne marine safety kit (currently
underdevelopment. COMMENT: The director for surveillance and
detection was reluctant to discuss the challenges associated
with blending the maritime and artisanal fisheries policies.
He did cite the need for increased capacity building and
support to improve coastal and offshore monitoring. He seemed
genuinely appreciative of the USG efforts and the
AFRICOM/African Partnership Station visit to Senegal. The
opportunity to support improved scientific partnerships would
complement operational capacity building efforts. A
combination of science and pragmatic partnerships could, if
crafted and coordinated with sustainability in mind, serve to
empower the technical specialists, devise pilot project
successes, and ultimately reinforce, to the policy makers, the
need for integrated coastal and marine policy, which promotes
sustainable biodiversity management. END COMMENT.


7. For further discussion contact Geoffrey Hunt at +233-21-
741- 417 or Patience Charway at +233-21-741-839.

TEITELBAUM