UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme is at the forefront of climate action, integrating science, policy, and partnerships to protect marine ecosystems and support coastal communities. By championing nature-based solutions and fostering multilateral cooperation, the Programme ensures that ocean management strategies are climate-resilient, helping vulnerable regions adapt to the growing impacts of climate change and safeguard marine biodiversity for a sustainable future.
Introduction
Climate change is rapidly altering the planet’s ecosystems, and the oceans are no exception. As the largest carbon sink, the ocean absorbs heat and carbon dioxide, leading to acidification, warming, sea-level rise, and deoxygenation—all of which severely impact marine life and coastal communities. Through UNEP’s Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans (RSCAPs), comprehensive strategies are being implemented to mitigate these impacts, build climate resilience, and ensure the long-term sustainability of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Why It Matters
Climate change affects every aspect of ocean health, from rising temperatures and ocean acidification to more frequent extreme weather events and habitat loss. These changes threaten biodiversity, fisheries, and the livelihoods of billions who depend on healthy oceans. Rising sea levels put coastal populations at risk, while warming seas disrupt species migration patterns and destroy vital ecosystems like coral reefs and mangroves. The urgency to address climate impacts is more critical than ever, as ocean-based solutions are essential for both mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The main factors of climate change influencing oceans are ocean acidification, ocean warming, ocean deoxygenation, sea-level rise, loss of marine habitats and biodiversity, changes in ocean circulation, impacts on fisheries and extreme weather events.
What We Do
The Regional Seas Programme, leads initiatives aimed at building climate resilience by integrating ecosystem-based adaptation strategies.
- Nairobi Convention: Climate Change Strategy for the Nairobi Convention: The document provides a comprehensive programme of action for the Nairobi Convention to address Climate Change. Recent assessment of available information indicates that the western Indian Ocean region (WIO) will follow global trends with regards to changes predicted as a result of climate change including the frequency, intensity, and temporal and spatial variability of rainfall, cyclones and tropical storms. An increase in the frequency and amplitude of tidal ranges, storms and cyclones will result in floods and the destruction of property, high rates of coastal erosion, saline water intrusion, reduced economic opportunities and habitat loss. Other impacts of climate change such as increased sea temperatures and the acidification of oceans are likely to have a dramatic effect on species and ecosystems.
- Barcelona Convention: Regional Climate Change Adaptation Framework for the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Areas: The main objective of the Framework is to set a regional strategic approach to increase the resilience of the Mediterranean marine and coastal natural and socioeconomic systems to the impacts of climate change, assisting policy makers and stakeholders at all levels across the Mediterranean in the development and implementation of coherent and effective policies and measures by identifying strategic objectives, strategic directions and priorities
- Cartagena Convention: Caribbean Environment Programme: Regional Strategy for the Protection and Development of the Wider Caribbean Region: While the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols do not include a reference to climate change, the Secretariat is mandated to engage in projects and activities to address climate change if they support the overall objectives of the Convention and its Protocols. The inclusion of oceans-related climate change issues such as Ocean Acidification and ocean-based economies including Blue Economy approaches offers new funding opportunities for the CEP. Cartagena Declaration - the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean recognises that urgent responses by all our countries and the international community are needed to ensure the provision of adequate, new and additional financial resources, technology transfer and capacity building by developed countries so that our adaptation and mitigation needs can be addressed, in accordance with the principle of common, but differentiated responsibilities.
- SPREP – SPREP promotes integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk management through capacity building and within an ecosystem based approach. SPREP hosts the Pacific Climate Change Centre. SPREP promotes the Framework on Resilient Development in the Pacific: An Integrated Approach to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management (FRDP) to guide our collaborative approach with regional organisations, donors, and the United Nations to strengthen resilience to climate change.
- PERSGA: Established since 2008, PERSGA Climate Change Program executes multilinked interventions that cover a wide level ranging from local, national and regional activities and initiatives in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region
- Tehran Convention - Convention developed and adopted protocols on oil spill, biodiversity, land-based sources of contamination and on trans-boundary environmental impact assessment.
- OSPAR Climate Change Thematic Assessment 2023 - summarises the information on climate change and ocean acidification in the OSPAR Maritime Area
- Permanent Commission of South Pacific - Climate Change and Migration Issues in the Pacific- the report contributes to contribute to raising international awareness about issues related to climate change and migration in the Pacific. Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts - aimed at assessing the state of knowledge about climate change indicators, impacts, and adaptive capacity of the Hawaiian archipelago and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands.
- HELCOM – HELCOM work on climate change has been identified as increasing the resilience of the system with regards to climate change impacts. The climate change work within HELCOM focuses on a long-term, multi-disciplinary approach to understanding and communicating the implications of climate change for the marine and coastal environment.
- COBSEA: The Strategic Directions 2023-2027 outlines activities contributing to climate change mitigation and enhancing climate adaptation and resilience, by supporting and promoting Nature-based Solutions and Ecosystem-based Adaptation.
- Several RSCAPs have also produced publications in relation to climate change. The reports are
- Implications of Expected Climate Change: UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 155
Science, Policy, and Partnerships
The Regional Seas Programme leverages scientific research and monitoring to inform climate policy and foster collaboration across regions. Climate change assessments, such as the OSPAR Climate Change Thematic Assessment and various UNEP Regional Seas Reports, provide valuable insights into the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Partnerships with regional bodies and multilateral organizations ensure coordinated action and resource-sharing to address climate challenges.
Multilateral Environmental Agreements and Conventions: UNEP’s work on climate change in the marine context is supported by key international agreements:
- Paris Agreement (UNFCCC): UNEP supports global efforts to limit temperature increases and build climate resilience, contributing through initiatives like the Regional Seas Programme’s climate adaptation strategies.
- Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): UNEP promotes marine biodiversity conservation, which is essential for climate adaptation, with examples like the Mediterranean Action Plan's focus on protecting coastal ecosystems.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 13 and 14): UNEP aligns with SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water) by implementing nature-based solutions and enhancing ecosystem resilience across regional seas, including efforts under the Nairobi Convention to bolster coastal resilience.
