Resources

The assessment of management effectiveness in protected areas has been considered as a very important activity to learn about the management of the site and to implement actions and adapt management.

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) was first identified in 2014 off of Virginia Key, Florida. Since then, this unprecedented coral disease has spread to the Caribbean. As of March 2021, the disease has been confirmed in 16 Caribbean countries and territories.

The overall purpose of this white paper is to compile background information for a strategic status update and critical situational analysis that informs and elicits feedback from key regional stakeholders. It will also form the basis for development of a draft Concept Note for a UNEP Cartagena Convention-led project targeting key issues identified.

Pollution, including marine litter, plastics, sewage, oil and chemicals, impacts the value of the goods and services provided by the oceans, including quality of fisheries and the pristine marine environment highly valued by the tourism sector.

The people of the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) depend greatly on coastal and marine resources for their economic, social and cultural well-being. One of the region’s major economic activities-tourism is dependent on these resources and, therefore, it is critical that it be developed and carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner.

As Secretariat to the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols, the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) plays a diverse and critical role in the conservation of biodiversity, the establishment of coastal and marine protected areas, the reduction of marine pollution from land and marine-based sources, environmental education and capacity building.