The Tomol Crossing of the Channel Islands, image credit © NOAA/Robert Schwemmer
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play a vital role in climate resilience by providing natural defences for coastal regions and offering low-stress zones for marine life to adapt. At the same time, MPAs face mounting climate-related threats, such as sea level rise, acidification, coral bleaching and species shifts, which are challenging to incorporate into their planning. A new report launched by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) offers crucial guidance on how climate considerations can be integrated into MPA practices and policies, safeguarding marine ecosystems now and into the future.
Based on the latest ocean science and best practice examples from across the world, the technical report “Establishing Marine Protected Areas in a Changing Climate” targets marine and coastal agencies, conservation policymakers and community-level organisations involved in MPA management. It provides key resources, tools and four guiding principles for planning, designing and implementing climate-adaptive MPAs that meet ecological and social goals while delivering co-benefits such as carbon sequestration and coastal resilience.
“As countries work to increase effective MPA coverage from the current 8% to 30% under Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework, and the High Seas Treaty provides new opportunities for establishing MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction, this report is very timely,” said Madhu Rao, Chair of the IUCN WCPA. “The publication provides much-needed advice to ensure effective protection of habitat for marine biodiversity while facilitating adaptation to changing conditions”.
The four principles introduced by the report – “understand change”, “strengthen adaptation and resilience”, “ensure equity and inclusivity” and “generate holistic co-benefits” – are illustrated with case studies from Indonesia, the Kenya/Tanzania border, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Central Arctic Ocean. These demonstrate how climate-adaptive measures are being applied in real-world settings at the local, national and transboundary scales.
“This report aims to provide practical guidance for planning and implementing protected and conserved areas in a changing ocean, helping ensure long-term biodiversity conservation outcomes as we work to achieve 30×30”, said Lauren Wenzel, lead report author and co-chair of IUCN’s Protected Areas and Climate Change Specialist Group.
From site-specific strategies to large-scale network planning across the high seas, a key learning from the publication is that MPA implementation should consider climate factors from the earliest stages, be flexible and adaptive, and be aligned with broader spatial planning to harmonise conservation priorities with sustainable use goals such as renewable energy development. Equitable practices that include Indigenous and local knowledge are also essential to safeguard biodiversity and support human well-being, being particularly valuable for understanding long-term changes and baselines, as well as underpinning traditional management approaches that may be relevant to climate action.
The report, produced in collaboration with the International Partnership on Marine Protected Areas, Biodiversity and Climate Change, can be accessed here. An IUCN Vital Sites webinar will be held on Thursday, July 17, from 16:00-17:30 (CEST) to introduce the report, including case studies from Indonesia, the Kenya/Tanzania border, and the United Kingdom. Register for the webinar here.