sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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Box II.12
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: MAIN PROBLEMS OF MARINE REGIONS
South-West Atlantic Region
The South-West Atlantic Region corresponds to the States of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Evaluations
by Governments and non-governmental organizations in countries of this region indicate that stocks of the principal
fish species are overfished and others are depleted, collapsed or in danger of extinction. Even though
recommendations have been drafted to strengthen regulations and address the problem, the prioritization of
economic gain without considering environmental externalities is hampering their implementation. The hydrocarbon
industry incurs a significant impact and cost on marine species. Growth in oil and gas exploration increases the risk.
Compulsory damage assessments and processes of mitigation and compensation should be made a prerequisite for
obtaining licences. Climate change presents new challenges, in particular the risk of extreme weather events, which
will exacerbate coastal erosion and have an impact on biodiversity and fisheries.
Wider Caribbean Region
Coastal water quality has begun to decline throughout the region as a result of pollution from land-based
sources caused by: high population density; poor economic management of such activities as transport, tourism and
oil extraction; and the associated waste discharges from industry and agriculture, especially pesticides and
fertilizers. Priority concerns include un<strong>sustainable</strong> harvesting of fish and other live marine resources, and the
pollution and modification of coastal habitats and communities. This region has one of the highest dependencies on
tourism in the world. Many habitats near the coast have been modified and destroyed and pollution from tourism
<strong>development</strong>s has grown. Around 30% of Caribbean coral reefs are considered to have been destroyed or at extreme
risk from anthropogenic pressures and from the impact of hurricanes.
South-East Pacific Ocean Region
The South-East Pacific Ocean region includes the coasts of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The most
important issues in this area include specific problems of wastewater, marine debris, aquaculture and fisheries. The
greatest pressure has come from the steady growth of coastal populations and shipping. Although the total amount of
discharges into the sea is unknown, agro-industrial and domestic wastewater discharges are the main source of marine
pollution and of pressure on ecosystems. Inadequate wastewater treatment and disposal has exerted pressure on both
human health and the environment and incurred economic losses. Two transboundary environmental problems in the
region are pollution of coastal ecosystems by land-based activities and un<strong>sustainable</strong> harvesting of fish and other live
marine resources, which, in short, are the result of economic activities that fail to cover their costs adequately.
Source: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), An
Assessment of Assessments: Findings of the Group of Experts. Pursuant to UNGA Resolution 60/30, <strong>20</strong>09.
In the early 1990s, marine protected areas (MPAs) began to gain prominence. However, attempts
to safeguard the region’s coastal and marine areas by means of protected areas are still very modest. Only
0.1% of the exclusive economic zones of the countries of the region is under some form of protection, and
most of the 255 marine reserves are not managed effectively (UNEP, <strong>20</strong>10a).
The oceans are managed by means of a fragmented system in which national and international entities
have separate and overlapping jurisdictions. This governance structure has been insufficient to tackle the
threats to marine ecosystems. In addition, many of the policies have not been implemented effectively.
Gradually, countries and international organizations have reinforced their commitments to
integrated management by adopting special marine spatial planning and ecosystem-based management
approaches. Examples include the Plan of Implementation for the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, the decisions of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity in <strong>20</strong>10 and bioregional planning schemes.