Photo: © Frank Papushka/UNEP
The Flagship will be covering the 3 SIDS regions by targeting Vanuatu (in the Pacific), St Lucia (in the Caribbean), and Comoros (in the AIS region). In a nutshell, this Flagship will put marine and coastal ecosystems at the heart of economic policy and decision-making in the era of COVID-19. This SIDS-led initiative will also put a face to marine and coastal ecosystem restoration with SIDS leading by example and inspiring pride. Despite SIDS unique structural and endogenous development challenges, currently exacerbated by the pandemic, COVID-19 economic recovery represents a unique opportunity for SIDS to unlock its blue economy potential and reduce nature-based economic and financial risks.
Well informed and coordinated ecosystem restoration and conservation, following the principles of both Sustainable Blue Economy Finance and of Ecosystem Restoration, will transform SIDS’ unique ocean-based challenges into opportunities in order to accelerate the implementation of SDG 14 and other ocean-related SDGs. Essentially, the objective of the
SIDS Flagship is to promote the integration of marine and coastal ecosystem restoration/conservation and sustainable blue finance into COVID-19 economic recovery and growth in 3 SIDS through a connected ‘ridge to reef’ & seascape management approach in order to build back better and bluer.
Biophysical activities: Promotion of sustainable forest management practices; Assisted natural regeneration; Tree planting; Control of point and non-point pollution sources; Improved fertilizer and agrochemical use efficiency; Improved irrigation and water use efficiency; Wetland construction or rehabilitation; Conservation agriculture; Integrated crop; livestock and forestry systems; Agroforestry
Enabling activities: Land-use planning (national, regional, local); Social and environmental impact assessments; Incentives for sustainable land-use practices; Establishment of protected areas; Private and community-based conservation; Clarification of natural resource-use rights; Promotion of indigenous and local knowledge-based traditional use; Participatory natural resource management and governance; Community consultations; On-site trainings; Online trainings; Development of guidance and course materials; Training of trainers; Land/water degradation assessment and mapping; Integrated planning and management; Zoning; Assessment of natural areas with high carbon stores (e.g., peatlands, old-growth forests, mangroves)
IUCN Ecosystem biomes: Rivers and streams biome; Tropical or subtropical forests biome; Shrublands and shrubby woodlands biome; Savannas and grasslands biome; Intensive land use (crop and urban) biome; Marine shelf biome; Shorelines biome; Brackish tidal biome
