Webinar: Governing Coastal Resources: Implications for a Sustainable Blue Economy

The ocean provides oxygen, food, energy, water and raw materials. It offers remarkable cultural services and is a source of jobs and economic activity across our planet. Despite its importance, there is a continuous degradation of the ocean mainly due to pollution and acidification.

In this webinar, the International Resource Panel launched its assessment report 'Governing coastal resources: Implications for a Sustainable Blue Economy' and discussed the challenges and opportunities for our oceans and coastal resources with experts including:

- Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean
- Dr. Steve Fletcher, Panel member and Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy at the University of Portsmouth
- Ms. Marianne Gjørv, Senior Adviser in the Norwegian Environment Agency
- Ms. Leticia Carvalho, Head of Marine and Freshwater Branch, UNEP (Opening remarks)
- Ms. Merlyn Van Voore, Head of the IRP Secretariat, UNEP (Moderator)
- Dr. Yonglong Lu, Panel member and Professor at the Xiamen University
- Dr. Porfirio Alvarez, Panel member and Executive Secretary for the Consortium of Marine Research Institutions of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean

Speakers discussed findings of the report, presented the evidence base about the impacts of land-based activities to coastal resources, made a call for a new governance approach where land- and sea-based activities are considered, and shared the views of different countries on what this research means to them and highlight the role of governments.

Read the report: https://bit.ly/IRPcoast