UNESCO

© ICES/PICES/UNESCO
IOC-UNESCO, was held in Santos (Brazil).
It was attended by 284 experts from
38 countries, and presented opportunities
to share the latest information on the
impacts of climate change on the ocean,
as well as on possible pathways for
adaptation and mitigation.
Coastal wetlands are crucial to the
climate because they store ‘blue carbon’
aboveground and in the sediments. When
they are degraded, this carbon is released
back into the atmosphere as carbon
Poster for the third International Symposium
on the Effects of Climate Change on the World’s
Oceans, co-organized by IOC-UNESCO, where
the latest information on the impacts of climate
change on the ocean was shared, as well as
possible pathways for adaptation and mitigation.
Third International Symposium
Effects of Climate Change
on the World’s Oceans
March 23–27, 2015 Santos, Brazil
www.pices.int/climatechange2015.aspx
Local Organizers
Authorization to reproduce these map images was generously granted by the Historical Cartography Library of the University of Sao Paulo
(www.mapahistoricos.usp.br) and Mr. Carlos Pimentel (www.novomilenio.inf.br).
dioxide. Coastal wetlands are among the
most threatened ecosystems on Earth.
Twelve per cent of the urban
population in Africa lives in areas
classified as low-elevation coastal zones.
The coastal regions are the habitat of
several endangered species. They are
also important fisheries where over
3 million people obtain their primary
source of income. However, this region
is predicted to be hit the hardest by the
effects of climate change. Healthy coastal
systems will help mitigate the impact.
IOC-UNESCO, Conservation International
(CI) and the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have
jointly set up a Blue Carbon Initiative to
research and protect this resource.
Healty Ocean, protected Climate
From 23 to 25 September, they
co-organized a meeting of its Blue
Carbon Scientific Working Group in
Zanzibar (Tanzania), which was attended
by 68 participants mostly from African
countries. It brought together international
experts, the African coastal carbon research
community and decision-makers to assess
the state of knowledge of blue carbon
ecosystems, and to identify gaps and
opportunities to accelerate research.
UNESCO and IOC-UNESCO’s
Sub-Commission for Africa and Adjacent
Island States held its third session
(IOCAFRICA III) from 14 to 15 April
in Nairobi. Attended by more than
50 participants representing 23 Member
States across the region, UN Agencies,
regional programmes, NGOs and experts,
the session reviewed progress in the
implementation of IOC-UNESCO programmes
on ocean sciences, services and observations
in the region, and discussed future activities.
ocean-climate.org
8 June 2015, UNESCO
World Oceans Day
draws attention to
the vital role the
ocean plays in our
everyday life as
a major source of
oxygen with the
hope of mobilizing
the world behind a
project of sustainable
ocean management.
In 2015, IOC-UNESCO
dedicated this day’s
activities to the
ocean’s role in the
climate system, ahead
of the global climate
change negotiations
taking place during
COP21 at the end
of the year.
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