The Impacts of Climate Change Will Have an Effect on Coastal
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Date : 01/2016 - Version : 2015 Date : 01/2016 - Version The impacts of climate change will have an effect Les effets du changement climatique auront une on coastal infrastructures and facilities in coral incidence sur les ouvrages et les aménagements reef environments and related ecosystems in the présents sur les littoraux des zones récifales inter-tropical zone. coralliennes et des écosystèmes associés de l’espace intertropical. This methodology guide’s objective is to be a tool to inform and warn different types of Le présent guide méthodologique a pour vocation potential players on the risks that key coastal de donner à différents niveaux d’acteurs potentiels infrastructure could incur and the impact that un outil d’alerte et d’information sur les risques their deterioration could have on coral reefs and encourus par les principales infrastructures related ecosystems. Technical recommendations littorales et les impacts que leur dégradation are provided for the adaptation for each type of pourrait entrainer sur les récifs coralliens et les infrastructure. écosystèmes associés. Des recommandations techniques sont fournies en matière d’adaptation This guide has been written in both French and pour chaque type d’infrastructure. English. L’édition du guide est bilingue : français et anglais. The impact of climate change on infrastructures in coastal and inter-tropical marine zones 1 THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON INFRASTRUCTURES IN COASTAL AND INTER-TROPICAL MARINE ZONES Authors Michel PORCHER Christian Birault Michel ALLENBACH The impact of climate change on infrastructures in coastal and inter-tropical marine zones 3 The geographical terms and format used in this book do not express IFRECOR’s opinion or that of other relevant organizations on the legal status or authority of any country, territory or region, or the demarcation of their frontiers. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of IFRECOR, or its partners Published by: l’IFRECOR THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE Coordinated by: l’IFRECOR Copyright: © 2015 - l’IFRECOR CHANGE ON INFRASTRUCTURES Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized IN COASTAL AND INTER-TROPICAL without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. All rights on this publication are reserved for resale or other commercial purposes without prior MARINE ZONES written permission. Citations: Michel Porcher, Christian Birault and Michel Allenbach Edition: IFRECOR Collection. 224 pp. Copyright registration: ? Design and layout: Tomasi Marie-laure / Piknetart.fr Translation: Kate Anderson Cover photo: IstockPhoto Available from: IFRECOR, Email: [email protected] Website: www.ifrecor.com 4 / Collection The impact of climate change on infrastructures in coastal and inter-tropical marine zones 5 PREFACE This year’s 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention Framework on Climate Change, which will take place in Paris in December 2015, is a milestone for negotiating future international agreements on climate that will come into force in 2020, with an objective to keep global warming below 2°C (compared to 2009). Coral Reef. Photo © Istock. The Overseas territories already suffer from the of global warming, relying on scientific • a methodology guide for local public As IFRECOR’s funders and facilitators, the first effects of global warming because they protocols and common indicators which were and private decision-makers and planning Ministry of Ecology, Energy and Sustainable are located at all latitudes in four oceans and defined with the National Observatory on the developers has finally been drafted, in a Development and the Ministry of Overseas three continents. Globally, they play an essential impact of climate change (ONERC). They pragmatic way, to guide and give them support Territories welcome the work done by all role in their capacity to capture carbon, fight are all now working within a network using a in the design and development of their coastal the players in IFRECOR’s network, which against the effects of global warming, sustaining common database run by the University of planning projects, by taking into account the today is reflected in this book’s publication: food resources and fighting against poverty in New Caledonia. This network will eventually future impacts of global warming. it is intended to clarify, in a concrete and a number of States including island ones, due be integrated into international networks practical way, how local public as well as to the extent of waters under their jurisdiction, monitoring climate change; private players can address the impacts of the diversity, richness and specificity of their • an overall assessment has been carried climate change. terrestrial and marine biodiversity (mangroves, out on the economic value of services reefs, ...). provided by coral ecosystems (full results will be published in 2016) and it highlighted, The French initiative for coral reefs and related in terms of coastal protection against the ecosystems (IFRECOR)1 set down in its 2011¬ effects of global warming for example, annual 2015 Action Plan its commitment to focus on amounts of €66 million in Martinique and from change climate: €155 to €220 million in New Caledonia, or Director General of French Overseas Territories Director General of Spatial Planning, for carbon sequestration, €10 million and €8 Housing and Nature Conservation • in each Overseas territory an observatory million per year in Guadeloupe and Martinique was put in place to monitor the impacts respectively; 1IFRECOR is a French national action for coral reefs in French Overseas territory communities; it was established in March 1999 on the Prime Minister’s decision. It is France’s national version of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). It is under the authority of both the Ministry of Overseas territories and Ecology. Its objective is the protection and sustainable management of coral reefs and related Alain ROUSSEAU Paul DELDUC ecosystems (mangroves and seagrass meadows) through innovative and experimental actions in 11 Overseas territories (Guadeloupe, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, the Eparses Islands, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia and Clipperton). 6 / Collection The impact of climate change on infrastructures in coastal and inter-tropical marine zones 7 along the coast whose deterioration could • drawing up a schedule for implementation; have an impact on coral reef environments and • Setting up a local group to monitor the action SUMMARY related ecosystems. plan and the technical and scientific aspects, in collaboration with the appropriate central For each type of infrastructure, the guide technical departments, especially monitoring provides: climate evolution parameters and analysing • an intentionally simplified description of the feedback from extreme weather conditions). structures and of the impacts they may have on the natural environment; At the same time, it is important to: • an inventory of structures in each French • check that the effects of climate change have overseas territory and overseas collectivity; been taken into account in existing plans and Foreseeable climate changes in the 21st century need to • a description of possible impacts of climate development plans concerning structures in be taken into consideration as they are likely to cause major change on infrastructure and their implications each territory; disruptions at the land-sea interface. There is a high risk for coral reef environments and their marine • conduct awareness raising campaigns with ecosystems; local populations on the possible impacts of of either slow deterioration or of the sudden destruction climate change; of coastal ecosystems with serious consequences for • technical recommendations on how to adapt existing infrastructure to climate change or on • reinforce climate change observatories to human activities in coastal areas. the construction of new infrastructure. optimise adaptation based on ongoing climate change; As most of the infrastructure is directly affected • create a policy to ensure climate risks are by water, including its management and the taken into account, using a project quality structures built to protect it against the impact approach. These risks must be included in The coral reef ecosystem is one of the most Such an analysis will: of floods and flooding, a chapter is dedicated to Schemes Organizing Quality Assurance Plans sensitive areas in an inter-tropical zone • identify potential risks to specific infrastructures these aspects. (SOPAC), and subsequently in QAPs (Quality and as France has Overseas territories in and the technical measures that need to In the conclusion, we present a matrix table Assurance Plans). three oceans it is of particular interest The be taken to protect existing infrastructures, containing our recommendations for structures services provided by coral reef ecosystems maintain their function and optimize future that may be the most affected by these hazards. are increasingly recognized today and their developments; protection is a vital issue for all inter-tropical local This summary underlines the high risk of • if the right measures are taken, the impact of authorities. This is the reason why IFRECOR damage to existing infrastructure and the any damage on sensitive natural environments was founded. consequences for coral reef environments can be reduced