2. Coastal Zone Management

The tenth Conference of the Parties (COP-10) to the CBD was celebrated in Nagoya, Japan, on 18-29 October. Many of the decisions of COP-10 related to various themes in marine and coastal management. Of particular importance was Decision X/29 on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity, which reviewed the implementation of the work program for marine and coastal biological diversity detailed in Annex I to Decision VII/5. Decision X/29 expressed concern about the slow progress that had been made in achieving the 2012 target for the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs). In 2002, the World Summit for Sustainable Development set a target of 10 percent of the marine eco-regions to be covered in MPA networks. Since only 1 percent of the ocean surface currently has protected areas status (sections 4 and 13), the decision encouraged parties to accelerate progress in establishing ecologically representative and effectively managed marine and coastal protected areas (section 13). Decision X/31 on Protected Areas identified issues that need greater attention. Included among these issues are the need for developed countries and international financial institutions to support developing countries—particularly the least developed countries and small island developing states (SIDS)—in their implementation of work programs on protected areas (section 9) as well as the need to consider the role of protected areas in climate change mitigation and adaptation (section 16).