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