Background
UNDP/GEF is providing assistance
through UNOPS to countries bordering...
Background
UNDP/GEF is providing assistance
through UNOPS to countries bordering Yellow Sea in support of their efforts to
address among others the increasing trends of depleting fishery stocks, loss of
coastal wetland, land and sea-based pollution and implementation of the Yellow
Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Strategic Action Programme (YSLME SAP) adopted by
China and RO Korea with support of DPR Korea. One of the assistance programs to
implement the SAP is the UNDP/GEF/UNOPS project entitled Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the Yellow
Sea Large Marine Ecosystem: Restoring Ecosystem Goods and Services and
Consolidation of a Long-term Regional Environmental Governance Framework, or
the UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase II Project. The project was launched in July 2017.
The objective of this
regional project is to achieve adaptive ecosystem-based management of the
Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem bordered by China, RO Korea and DPR Korea by
fostering long-term sustainable institutional, policy and financial arrangements
for effective ecosystem-based management of the Yellow Sea in accordance with
the YSLME SAP.
There are four
components of the project:
- Sustainable national
and regional cooperation for ecosystem based management.
- Improved Ecosystem
Carrying Capacity with respect to provisioning services.
- Improved Ecosystem
Carrying Capacity with respect to regulating and cultural services.
- Improved Ecosystem
Carrying Capacity with respect to supporting services.
The key outcomes sought are:
- Establishment of a
self-sustaining cooperative mechanism for ecosystem-based management.
- Recovery of depleted
fish stocks and improved mariculture production and quality.
- Improved ecosystem
health;
- improved
inter-sectoral coordination and mainstreaming of ecosystem based
management principles at the national level, maintenance of habitat areas,
strengthened stakeholder participation in management and improved policy
making.
- Skills and capacity
significantly developed for region-wide ecosystem-based management.
Component 4 addresses improving ecosystem carrying capacity with respect
to supporting services. In Outcome 4.1 of Component 4 entitled “Maintenance of
current habitats and the monitoring and mitigation of the impacts of
reclamation”, the project will support a series of activities leading to the
development and adoption of the YSLME Biodiversity Conservation Plan including
the targets to ensure areas of critical habitats are kept at baseline level.
Output 4.1.1 of Outcome 4.1 specifically seeks to arrive at an agreement at all
levels to implement the relevant management actions to regulate new coastal
zone reclamation project. As one of
proposed activities, assessment of coastal and marine habitats, and
species of critical global and regional significance can and should be used for
habitat management, conservation, and restoration in the YS. Understanding of the distribution, abundance,
and functions of coastal and marine habitats will also assist in coastal and
marine spatial planning (CMSP), particularly with effective siting, design, and
monitoring of marine protected areas (MPAs).
Further, understanding and predicting the effects of climate change and
other anthropogenic impacts on ocean resources will require an increased
emphasis on marine habitat.
In order to implement
biodiversity conservation plan, one of the targets expected to be achieved
during the YSLME Project Phase II, assessment of coastal and marine habitats in
RO Korea and DPR Korea in the YS should be carried out by focusing on 23 Potential
Priority Areas (PPAs) with collection of findings on distribution of endangered
and threatened marine organisms, spawning, nursery and feeding grounds, cold
water mass (CWM), and endangered migratory waterbirds. Since the Project Phase I, the coastal and
marine ecosystems and ecosystem services have already been greatly changed and
are still facing threats. Findings from
assessment of coastal and marine habitats and critical species in the YS will
contribute to the understanding of current status of ecosystems in RO Korea and
DPR Korea in the YS by providing guidance for regional biodiversity
conservation plan in this region and integration and development of the YSLME
MPA Network. In this context, the
project plans to mobilize one consultant in RO Korea and one in PR China for
assessment of coastal and marine habitats and critical species with following
terms of Reference.
Objectives
The objective
underlying the proposed consultancy is to enhance resilience of YSLME
biodiversity and ecosystems by strengthening the coverage and connectivity of
MPAs and reduce the loss of coastal and marine habitats and species of critical
global and regional significance in support of achieving SDG 14 and implementing
CBD, RAMSAR and other relevant Conventions.
Expected Outputs
The consultant 1 is
expected to deliver the following results:
- YSLME Biodiversity Conservation Plan for RO Korea and
DPR Korea in the Yellow Sea
The consultant 2 is
expected to deliver the following results
- A draft framework plan for YSLME Biodiversity
Conservation in the Yellow Sea