OCTs and Environment

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OCTs and Environment

• Situation and opportunities in EC cooperation

European Commission DG Environment
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European Commission DG Environment
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Environment in OCTs

• OCTs are situated in all parts of the globe
  natural conditions are very varied and cover a
  wide range of ecological zones
• But common points do exist
• All OCTs are islands or have easy access to the
  sea
• All are potentially affected by climate change
• All have coastal and marine resources
• All have important biodiversity
• All have specific problems due to the size of
  their economies or to their isolation waste
  management, energy, water and sanitation, land
  management,

European Commission DG Environment
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Environment in
EC-OCTs cooperation

• The association agreement objectives are
• Poverty prevention, reduction and eradication
• Integration in the regional and world economies
• Sustainable development Environment is one of
  three pillars of sustainable development
• It recognizes important environmental issues for
  OCTs article 15 e waste and 15 f
  biodiversity
• Regional integration is promoted, inter alia
  regarding cooperation on environment (article
  16.4)

European Commission DG Environment
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Environment in OCTs

• What are the main environmental issues at stake
  in the OCTs
• Climate change
• Biodiversity
• Waste management
• Natural resources management land, water, marine
  resources

European Commission DG Environment
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Climate change and OCTs

• Climate change is already taking place and is
  caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse
  gases in the atmosphere
• Climate change is projected to increase, both in
  magnitude and in rate of change
• Impacts include
• increased global warming,
• rising sea-levels,
• changes in rainfall patterns
• increase of extreme weather events (cyclones,
  hurricanes, draughts)

European Commission DG Environment
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Climate change and OCTs

• Climate change impacts may affect all OCTs in
  different manners
• Small islands may be affected by sea-level rise
• Arctic and sub-antarctic zones affected by snow
  and ice-melt
• All OCTs may be affected by more frequent and
  more extreme climatic events (cyclons, droughts)
• Modifications in weather patterns (rainfall,
  average seasonal temperature) may impact
  agriculture, livestock, woods
• Sea-temperature variations may affect marine
  resources fish stocks, coral reefs

European Commission DG Environment
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Climate change and OCTs

• Most OCTs have a higher vulnerability due to
• Geography/topography
• Size of the economy
• Structure of the economy
• Most OCTs have a lower adaptation capacity
• Geography/topography (e.g. nowhere to move if
  sea-levels are rising)
• Limited financial and human ressources
• Limited possibilitites for economic
  diversification
• Limited natural ressources

European Commission DG Environment
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Climate change Action at EC/EU and global
level

• EU Strategy on climate change in the context of
  development cooperation (Dec. 2003) and Action
  Plan (Nov2004), to be implemented from 2004 to
  2008
• Objective to assist EU partner countries in
  meeting the challenges posed by climate change
  through the implementation of the UNFCCC and the
  Kyoto Protocol
• Strategic priorities
• raising the policy profile of climate change,
• adaptation,
• mitigation and low greenhouse gas development
  paths,
• capacity building
• Kyoto protocol now fully into force
• Negotiations ongoing in Montreal at the time being

European Commission DG Environment
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Climate change and OCTs Why take action?

• Climate change poses a threat to efforts for
  development since it puts at risk e.g. economic
  activities, investments in infrastructure,
  increases the risk for disasters and put
  additional pressure on limited natural ressources
• If we ignore climate change in our development
  efforts today, we may make short-term development
  gains, but these gains may not be sustainable in
  the longer perspective
• Responding to the risk of climate change is an
  opportunity to take action to reduce
  vulnerability and make development resilient to
  climate change

European Commission DG Environment
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OCTs and Biodiversity facts

• Total OCTs biodiversity is higher than in the
  whole European Union
• OCTs cover a high range of high quality
  ecosystems from arctic and subarctic regions to
  tropical forests and highly varied marine areas
• The loss of biodiversity represents also an
  economic loss, direct or potential
• Resilience to natural disasters and/or climate
  change is higher if biodiversity is intact

European Commission DG Environment
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OCTs and Biodiversity Action at
EC/EU level

• EU Gothenburg summit (2001) halt the loss of
  biodiversity before 2010, which led to the
  Biodiversity strategy and action plans.
• An new EC Biodiversity communication is being
  drafted for end of 2005
• At the Paris Conference (january 2005) on
  biodiversity and science, Pdt Chirac made
  proposals for biodiversity actions in FR OCTs
  (Plan dAction Biodiversité outre-mer)
• Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) applicable to
  OCTs if legislation adapted
• NGOs are lobbying hard in favour of decisive
  actions in favour of biodiversity in the OCTs

European Commission DG Environment
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Biodiversity Action Plan for Economic and
Development Cooperation

• Strategic Objectives       
• Mainstream biodiversity objectives into
  co-operation strategies and policy dialogue with
  developing countries. Integration into
  development projects across different sectors.
• Support sustainable use of natural resources,
  particularly in relation to forests, grasslands
  and marine/coastal ecosystems.
• Strengthen capacity of relevant agencies involved
  in conservation and sustainable use of
  biodiversity.
• Further integrate EIA practices in development
  co-operation.
• Co-ordinate the implementation with third country
  own biodiversity strategies.
• Ensure complementarity and co-ordination of
  policies and approaches in EC, other donors and
  international institutions, particularly GEF,
  Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• Provide sufficient funds for biodiversity on
  bilateral aid programmes as well as for
  international mechanisms (e.g. CBD

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Biodiversity can
OCTs make a change?

• Yes, and there is a lot of potential
• How ? (possible actions)
• Set-up of marine and inland protected areas
• Integration into regional conservation networks
• Capacity building
• Adaptation of legal framework and law enforcement
• Sustainable management of natural resources, i.e.
  fisheries, vegetation, agriculture
• Why?
• Biodiversity is an important asset for economy
  fishery, agriculture, but also tourism, health,
• Biodiversity also has a social role

European Commission DG Environment
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OCTs and Waste facts

• OCTs are in a special situation regarding waste
  management
• little islands or territories
• Isolation
• limited resources (human, financial, natural)
• high sensitivity of ecosystems
• extreme climatic conditions

European Commission DG Environment
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Waste can OCTs matter?

• Different types of actions may be foreseen
• Awareness raising
• Waste management schemes adapted to the specific
  conditions cost-effective, environmentally
  sound, 3Rs reducing, recycling, reuse
• Specific measures for marine debris, ballast
  waters, etc.
• Regional partnerships to draw on best practices
  and develop innovative solutions

European Commission DG Environment
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Instruments

• Environment integration manual under preparation
• Contains guidelines and draft terms of reference
  for EIA, SEA and CEP
• For each country or region, a CEP is to be drawn
  up, in context of preparation Indicative
  Programme
• key environmental issues, trends and pressures,
• disaster preparedness linked with natural
  resources
• governmental and civil responses
• Consultation and dialogue
• the status of regulatory reforms and the
  institutions involved
• obligations undertaken by OCTs and EC in the
  frame of MEAs such as FCCC, CBD.
• Helpdesk (http//www.environment-integration.org/)
  
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/e
  nvironment/index.htm

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Other environmental issues

• The following issues are also possible areas for
  enhanced EC/OCTs cooperation
• Management of coastal and marine resources
• Water resources and sanitation
• Land degradation
• Management of fishery
• Renewable energy
• Sustainable consumption and production
• Natural disasters preparedness

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Conclusion

• Environment is a pillar of sustainable
  development
• Environment is also a set of opportunities
• Regional or global cooperation brings added value
• Favourable scene
• Environmental issues are high on the
  international agenda
• Association Agreement OCTs/EC
• EC has clear commitments to fulfill
• Networking for exchanging experiences and
  designing specific solutions with SIDS

European Commission DG Environment