Methodology for the GEF Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme. Volume 5. Methodology for the Assessment of Large Marine Ecosystems
AIMED AT: Policy Makers, Experts working on the TWAP project, Marine scientists, Marine spatial planners PURPOSE: Guide for the assessment of the LMEs within the TWAP project with the aim of advising GEF for its future investments GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Global TECHNICAL AREA: Indicators, data and information management, ecosystem assessment methodology BASIC STRUCTURE: The methodology for assessment of Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) was developed under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) medium size project (MSP) âDevelopment of the Methodology and Arrangements for the GEF Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP)â. LMEs, 64 of which have been defined globally, are natural regions of coastal ocean space encompassing waters from river basins and estuaries to the seaward boundaries of continental shelves and seaward margins of coastal currents and water masses. They are relatively large regions of 200 000 km2 or more, the natural boundaries of which are based on four ecological criteria: bathymetry, hydrography, productivity, and trophically related populations. The documents provides methodological guidelines to execute the LMEs assessment. The approach to the assessment and management of LMEs is based on five modules, with corresponding suites of indicators: Productivity, Fish and Fisheries, Pollution and Ecosystem Health, Socio-economics, and Governance. A central theme of TWAP is the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities to natural and anthropogenic stressors, and impairment of ecosystem services. A conceptual framework was developed that explicitly shows the links between human vulnerability and natural and anthropogenic stressors, ecosystem services and consequences for humans (with governance as an overarching concept), so that cause and effect can be better identified. This framework also accommodates other ecosystem services in addition to fish and fisheries. Further, it incorporates the five LME modules and integrates ecological, socio-economic, and governance indicators into a unified LME assessment framework. Special reference is given to natural drivers such as climate variability and the global threat of climate change.
Methodology for the GEF Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme. Volume 5. Methodology for the Assessment of Large Marine Ecosystems.pdf
