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Challenges to International Waters – Regional Assessments in a Global Perspective

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Challenges to International Waters – Regional Assessments in a Global Perspective MAP : GIWA REGIONS AND SUBSYSTEMS GIWA MEGA REGIONS GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL WATERS ASSESSMENT Arctic Rim Gulf of California* Northeast Asia a Russian Arctic* a Eastern Equatorial Pacific (Southwest Mexico)* Sea of Okhotsk* b Arctic Greenland* b Eastern Equatorial Pacific (Central Equatorial Pacific)* Oyashio Current* c Arctic European/Atlantic c Eastern Equatorial Pacific (Pacific Colombian)* Kuroshio Current d Arctic North American Sea of Japan* Barents Sea* a Yellow Sea (Yellow Sea)* Norwegian Sea South America b Yellow Sea (Bohai Sea)* Faroe Plateau* a Patagonian Shelf (La Plata River Basin)* East China Sea* Iceland Shelf b Patagonian Shelf (South Atlantic Drainage System)* East Greenland Shelf* a Brazil Current (South/Southeast Atlantic Basins)* West Greenland Shelf* b Brazil Current (East Atlantic Basins)* a Bering Sea (West Bering Sea)* c Brazil Current (São Francisco River Basin)* Southeast Asia b Bering Sea (East Bering Sea)* a Northeast Brazil Shelf* Bay of Bengal* b Amazon* South China Sea* Humboldt Current* Mekong River* Europe & Central Asia Sulu-Celebes Sea* Baltic Sea* a Indonesian Seas (Sunda)* North Sea Sub-Saharan Africa b Indonesian Seas (Wallacea)* Celtic-Biscay Shelf a Canary Current (North)* c Indonesian Seas (Sahul)* Iberian Coastal Sea b Canary Current (South)* Black Sea* a Guinea Current (Comoe Basin)* Caspian Sea* b Guinea Current (Volta Basin)* Australia & Pacific Islands Aral Sea* c Guinea Current (Niger Basin)* a North Australian Shelf (Wet Tropics)* d Guinea Current (Congo Basin)* b North Australian Shelf (Dry Tropics)* e Guinea Current * a Coral Sea Basin (South and Papua)* North America Lake Chad* b Coral Sea Basin (Coral Sea)* Southeast Shelf Benguela Current* Great Barrier Reef* Northeast Shelf a Agulhas Current a Great Australian Bight* Scotian Shelf b Indian Ocean Islands* b Great Australian Bight (Muray Darling Basin)* Gulf of St Lawrence a Somali Coastal Current (Juba/Shebelle)* Pacific Islands* Newfoundland Shelf b Somali Coastal Current (Tana/Athi/Sabaki)* Tasman Sea* Challenges to Baffin Bay, Labrador Sea, Canadian Archipelago c Somali Coastal Current (Wami/Ruvu/Pangani)* Gulf of Alaska d Somali Coastal Current (Rufiji/Ruvuma)* California Current e Somali Coastal Current (Lake Jipe/Chala)* Antarctic Hawaiian Archipelago a East African Rift Valley Lakes (Lake Turkana)* Antarctic b East African Rift Valley Lakes (Lake Victoria)* c East African Rift Valley Lakes (Lake Tanganyika)* Central America d East African Rift Valley Lakes (Lake Malawi)* InternationalRegional Assessments in Watersa Global Perspective a Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi River)* b Gulf of Mexico (Rio Grande/Rio Bravo)* c Gulf of Mexico (Usumacinta/Grijalva)* North Africa & Middle East d Gulf of Mexico (Rio Hondo/Chetumal Bay)* North Africa and Nile River Basin a Caribbean Sea (Small Islands)* Red Sea and Gulf of Aden b Caribbean Sea (Orinoco/Magdalena/Catatumbo)* Euphrates and Tigris River Basin c Caribbean Sea (Central America/Mexico)* Jordan* Caribbean Islands* Arabian Sea * Assessed by . GIWA REGIONS AND SUBSYSTEMS a Russian Arctic Baffin Bay, Labrador Sea, Canadian Archipelago Gulf of California b Amazon a East African Rift Valley Lakes (Lake Turkana) a Coral Sea Basin (South PNG and Papua) b Arctic Greenland Barents Sea a Bering Sea (West Bering Sea) a Canary Current (North) b East African Rift Valley Lakes (Lake Victoria) b Coral Sea Basin (Coral Sea) c Arctic European/Atlantic Norwegian Sea b Bering Sea (East Bering Sea) b Canary Current (South) c East African Rift Valley Lakes (Lake Tanganyika) Great Barrier Reef d Arctic North American Faroe Plateau Sea of Okhotsk a Guinea Current (Comoe Basin) d East African Rift Valley Lakes (Lake Malawi) a Great Australian Bight a Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi River) Iceland Shelf Oyashio Current b Guinea Current (Volta Basin) Red Sea and Gulf of Aden b Great Australian Bight (Muray Darling Basin) b Gulf of Mexico (Rio Grande/Rio Bravo) East Greenland Shelf Kuroshio Current c Guinea Current (Niger Basin) e Gulf Pacific Islands c Gulf of Mexico (Usumacinta/Grijalva) West Greenland Shelf Sea of Japan d Guinea Current (Congo Basin) Jordan Tasman Sea d Gulf of Mexico (Rio Hondo/Chetumal Bay) Baltic Sea a Yellow Sea (Yellow Sea) e Guinea Current LME Arabian Sea Humboldt Current a Caribbean Sea (Small Islands) North Sea b Yellow Sea (Bohai Sea) Lake Chad Bay of Bengal a Eastern Equatorial Pacific (Southwest Mexico) b Caribbean Sea (Orinoco/Magdalena/Catatumbo) Celtic-Biscay Shelf East China Sea Benguela Current South China Sea b Eastern Equatorial Pacific (Central Equatorial Pacific) c Caribbean Sea (Central America/Mexico) Iberian Coastal Sea Hawaiian Archipelago a Agulhas Current Mekong River c Eastern Equatorial Pacific (Pacific Colombian) Caribbean Islands North Africa and Nile River Basin a Patagonian Shelf (La Plata River Basin) b Indian Ocean Islands Sulu-Celebes Sea Antarctic Southeast Shelf Black Sea b Patagonian Shelf (South Atlantic Drainage System) a Somali Coastal Current (Juba/Shebelle) a Indonesian Seas (Sunda) Northeast Shelf Caspian Sea a Brazil Current (South/Southeast Atlantic Basins) b Somali Coastal Current (Tana/Athi/Sabaki) b Indonesian Seas (Wallacea) Scotian Shelf Aral Sea b Brazil Current (East Atlantic Basins) c Somali Coastal Current (Wami/Ruvu/Pangani) c Indonesian Seas (Sahul) Gulf of St Lawrence Gulf of Alaska c Brazil Current (São Francisco River Basin) d Somali Coastal Current (Rufiji/Ruvuma) a North Australian Shelf (Wet Tropics) Newfoundland Shelf California Current a Northeast Brazil Shelf e Somali Coastal Current (Lake Jipe/Chala) b North Australian Shelf (Dry Tropics) GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL WATERS ASSESSMENT Challenges to InternationalRegional Assessments in Watersa Global Perspective Global International Waters Assessment Challenges to International Waters – Regional Assessments in a Global Perspective Published by the United Nations Environment Programme in collaboration with GEF, the University of Kalmar and the Municipality of Kalmar, Sweden, and the Governments of Sweden, Finland, and Norway. © United Nations Environment Programme ISBN --- UNEP/GCSS.IX/INF/ To obtain copies of this publication or further information, please contact: Division of Early Warning and Assessment United Nations Environment Programme PO Box Nairobi , Kenya Tel: + - Fax: + - Email: [email protected] is publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, DCPI, UNEP, P.O. Box , Nairobi, Kenya. CITATION When citing this report, please use: UNEP, . Challenges to International Waters – Regional Assessments in a Global Perspective. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya. DISCLAIMER e views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of UNEP. e designations employed and the presentations do no imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or cooperating agencies concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or areas or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. is publication has been peer-reviewed and the information herein is believed to be reliable, but the publisher does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Printed and bound in Kalmar, Sweden by Sunds Tryck Öland AB. Printed on recycled paper. Contents PREFACE . 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 13 INTRODUCTION . 15 FRESHWATER SHORTAGE . 18 Environmental and socio-economic impacts . 20 Root causes . 29 Policy relevant conclusions . 33 POLLUTION . 36 Environmental and socio-economic impacts . 40 Root causes . 47 Policy relevant conclusions . 51 OVERFISHING AND OTHER THREATS TO AQUATIC LIVING RESOURCES . 54 Environmental and socio-economic impacts . 58 Root causes . 63 Policy relevant conclusions . 67 HABITAT AND COMMUNITY MODIFICATION . 70 Environmental and socio-economic impacts . 73 Root causes . 80 Policy relevant conclusions . 82 CONCLUSIONS . 86 REFERENCES . 92 ACRONYMS . 93 ANNEXES . 94 Annex I: Global International Waters Assessment – Origin, objectives, workplan, teams and products . 95 Annex II: GIWA methodology . 103 Annex III: GIWA’s key: Causal chain and policy options analysis in a theoretical perspective . 113 Annex IV: Matrix of GIWA Concerns . 121 Preface Clean water and the many products and services of aquatic Sound scientific assessments of the current state of all ecosystems are necessities for human welfare. Water connects freshwater and coastal marine resources and their aquatic human societies and ecological systems by providing food ecosystems; and energy. e hydrological cycle maintains the health and Informed dialogue between governments, stakeholders stimulates the productivity and diversity of all ecosystems. and experts, based on the assessments; Wherever rivers, lakes and aquifers, as well as coastal Technological support and capacity enhancement; and current systems and marine fish stocks, are shared by two or Adequate financing for projects and programmes related more
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