Pathways for implementation of blue carbon initiatives

Abstract

Coastal blue carbon activities are being implemented by a variety of countries, using different approaches. Existing regulatory regimes, including on coastal protection, are still very useful tools to protect and conserve mangroves, seagrasses and saltmarshes, and preserve their carbon value and role. These approaches suffer, however, from ‘traditional’ issues such as lack of enforcement, human and financial constraints as well as unclear or misguiding government mandates. Successes are witnessed using a community-based carbon project approach, ensuring high stakeholder participation via direct or indirect incentive programmes. Comprehensive coastal zone management approaches seem very promising, but success overall, and regarding carbon specifically, are yet to be reported. The Paris Agreement has introduced new tools which could serve as means to trigger more and better coastal adaptation and mitigation efforts. Their implementation details are, however, still under negotiation and their impacts can only be expected in a few years.