International partnership in the creation of marine protected areas

Chile, Costa Rica, France, the UK and the US recently announced a new global partnership. Its aim is to develop the role and importance of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a solution in the fight against climate change on Earth.

Rising global temperatures, climate change and increasing ocean acidification are serious problems. They are rapidly and severely affecting many species, entire ecosystems and people. Globally, the threat to food security, the need to protect coastlines and sustainable economic development is looking increasingly serious, as reported by the International Partnership on Marine Protected Areas, Biodiversity and Climate Change.

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The above partnership of five countries, with scientific support from representatives of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland, intends to interact with world leaders. All this to make sure they have the right information and tools. It is about understanding the contribution marine protected areas and biodiversitythat they protect by helping to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Government agencies represented in the partnership include the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC); Chile‘s Ministry of Environment; the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; Costa Rica’s Ministry of Energy and Environment (MINAE); and France’s Biodiversity Agency (OFB).

Professor Dan Lafoley of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and advisor to the five-country partnership, stressed the need for collaboration in this area:

All nations rely on healthy marine ecosystems to support life on our planet. Undoubtedly, Marine Protected Areas (MPAS) can be an effective solution to climate change, built on wildlife. Therefore, action is needed at the international level. Because we need to protect key ocean habitats and the benefits that nature and people derive from them.