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- Lachmann, Florina, et al.
(författare)
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Marine plastic litter on Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Impacts and measures.
- 2017
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This report was commissioned by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water management and written by analysts at the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment (affiliated with the University of Gothenburg, Lund University, and Chalmers University of Technology). This report documents how marine plastic litter reaches even the most remote parts of the oceans with small island states, and how SIDS are especially vulnerable to its impact. The origin and composition of marine plastic litter and its impacts are described. Measures are discussed, both from state agencies and private corporations. Measures from existing RAPs on marine litter are reviewed and examples of private initiatives are mentioned. Also, the corresponding legal framework is given and side effects of marine litter measures on the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN are debated. THE VULNERABILITY OF SIDS SIDS are a set of island nations in the Caribbean Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea. SIDS are exposed to disproportionate concentrations of plastic litter due to their location near the ocean gyres where marine litter accumulates and to often sub-performing waste management systems. ORIGINS AND COMPOSITION OF MARINE PLASTIC LITTER Because plastic make up most marine debris, the focus here is on plastic litter. Marine plastic litter washed ashore on SIDS originates from both distant countries overseas and the SIDS themselves. Buoyant plastic litter is globally distributed by ocean currents and is washed ashore on beach lines around the globe where it negatively impacts ecological and human systems. Plastics end up in the marine environment through leaks from the global value chains that run from the oil industry through various other industries to local retailers and consumers. A smaller but significant stream of plastic litter follows from the difficulties of many SIDS to establish and maintain efficient waste management systems. IMPACT OF PLASTIC LITTER ON ECOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC VALUES Marine litter impacts the environment and organisms therein in various ways, including entanglement, ingestion, transfer of chemicals, or by otherwise altering habitats. The extent of the social and economic impact that plastic on countries is not currently well known. However, the dependence of SIDS on their natural resources through tourism and fisheries, make them economically vulnerable to plastic litter. MITIGATION AND REMEDIATION STRATEGIES For plastic that reaches SIDS, both remediation and mitigation, especially through waste management and recycling, become necessary. LEGAL AND POLITICAL FRAMEWORKS The legal framework for preventing and managing marine litter is present on all levels of governance. A declaration particularly relevant to marine litter on SIDS is the SAMOA Pathway, a declaration from the 3rd International Conference on Small Island Developing States in 2014 calling for measures to manage waste, including marine plastic litter. Multilateral agreements require party states to take actions, but these requirements are often generally formulated, and their achievements depend on the choices and participation of all parties. POLICY MEASURES PROPOSED BY REGIONAL ACTION PLANS There are 18 Regional Seas programmes under the United Nations Environmental Program for the protection of the marine environment. Some Regional Seas programmes have written strategies to guide their actions, the RAPs, i.e. a political agenda for marine litter management agreed on by member governments of the region. The contents of different RAPs show strong similarities. The analyses conducted here show that most measures suggested by RAPs are aimed at downstream processes, while fewer address the problem upstream. Additional measures are needed to solve such a global problem. VOLUNTARY AND COMMERCIAL INITIATIVES Marine litter requires an array of actions from local to global level, and is thus a matter of governance. Most measures suggested in RAPs and other work against marine litter involve government managers as well as businesses, NGOs, and voluntary initiatives. RECOMMENDATION: FUTURE COOPERATION Competence and enthusiasm for the issue on SIDS and elsewhere is growing, but more is needed. Solutions require international cooperation. Four recommendations for cooperation are highlighted here: 1. Prevent litter from entering the ocean and thus reaching SIDS: Support cooperation in regional and international agreements 2. Plastic material reaching SIDS should not be released into the environment: Technical cooperation and support for local waste management 3. If waste reaches the environment, collect it where appropriate: Support beach clean-up campaigns and other remediation measures 4. When waste has been collected, ensure that is has a value: Develop recycling markets and opportunities
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| 2. |
- Sundblad, Eva-Lotta, 1956, et al.
(författare)
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Social analys – en havsrelaterad samhällsanalys. Underlagsrapport för Sveriges inledande bedömning i havsmiljöförordningen
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Havsmiljöförordningen, SFS 2010:1341, (HMF) ingår i en strategi för en ekosystembaserad förvaltning och ett hållbart nyttjande av havsmiljön som avses i Havsmiljödirektivet (2008/56/EG). Förordningen syftar till att upprätthålla eller nå en god miljöstatus i havsmiljön. Enligt HMF ska Havs- och vattenmyndigheten se till att det görs en inledande bedömningen av havsmiljön i de svenska delarna av de två förvaltningsområdena Nordsjön och Östersjön (13 § - 16 §). Den inledande bedömningen, som ska vara avslutad den 15 juli 2012 och rapporteras till Europeiska kommissionen senast den 15 oktober samma år, ska ligga till grund för fastställande av god miljöstatus, miljömål och miljöövervakningsprogram samt utarbetande av åtgärdsprogram för att nå uppsatta mål. I den inledande bedömningen ingår att utföra en ekonomisk och social analys, den förra kan delas in i två delar där den första syftar till att analysera nyttjandet av havsområdet och den andra delen att beskriva kostnaderna av att miljön i havsområdena försämras (HMF, 13 §, p.4 samt Havsmiljödirektivet, Artikel 8.1c). Det primära syftet med den sociala analysen i den inledande bedömningen är att skapa en bild av förutsättningarna för det kommande arbetet med att uppnå direktivets syften, dvs. god miljöstatus (GES, artikel 9). Analysen ska också tjäna som underlag vid utformningen av miljömål (artikel 10) som sedermera kommer att ligga till grund för åtgärdsprogram och styrmedel (artikel 13). Bedömningen inbegriper en analys av hur olika grupper i samhället kan beröras av havets nyttjande, havsrelaterade miljöproblem och deras åtgärdande. I denna studie lanseras en metod att genomföra en sådan analys. Metoden inbegriper en tankemodell som består av komponenterna Indirekta drivkrafter, Direkta drivkrafter, Påverkan/tillstånd/effekt i miljön, Effekt i samhället och Respons med. Modellen används tillsammans med en frågemall för att kartlägga aktörer och drivkrafter. Fallstudier avseende tre miljöproblem - selektivt överfiske av torsk samt oönskad spridning av kvicksilver och fosfor - visar att ett stort antal aktörer är inblandade såväl indirekt som direkt. Dessutom verkar aktörerna på olika nivåer: lokalt/regionalt, nationellt och internationellt. Varje miljöproblem behöver sin egen analys och har egna förutsättningar. Studien visar att den information som behövs för att besluta om åtgärder är relativt omfattande. Avvägningen av vilken mängd information som är tillräcklig och som bör övervakas i framtiden kan ha stor påverkan på utvecklingen i samhället och i miljön. Slutligen lämnas förslag på hur framtida havsmiljörelaterade samhällsanalyser kan genomföras.
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| 3. |
- Sundblad, Eva-Lotta, 1956, et al.
(författare)
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Social analysis: A marine societal analysis. A report prepared for Sweden’s initial assessment as required by the Marine Environmental Ordinance (SFS 2010:1341) : Social analys – en havsrelaterad samhällsanalys. Underlagsrapport för Sveriges inledande bedömning i havsmiljöförordningen.
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Marine Environmental Ordinance (SFS 2010:1341) is part of a strategy to bring about ecosystem-based management and sustainable use of the marine environment in accordance with the EU’s the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC). The ordinance is intended to maintain or achieve good environmental status in the marine environment. Under the Marine Environmental Ordinance, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) must ensure that an initial assessment is carried out on the marine environment in the Swedish waters of the two regions, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea (Articles 13–16). The initial assessment, which is to be completed by 15 July 2012 and reported to the European Commission not later than 15 October of the same year, is to provide a basis for the establishment of good environmental status, environmental targets and environmental monitoring programmes, as well as the preparing of programmes of measures by which established targets may be achieved. The initial assessment will include conducting an economic and social analysis. The former can be divided into two parts, the first of which is designed to analyse the use of the marine region and the second to describe the cost of the degradation of the marine environment (Marine Environmental Ordinance, Article 13, para. 4, and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Article 8.1c). The primary purpose of the social analysis in the initial assessment is to create a picture of the underlying conditions of the upcoming work to achieve the aims of the directive, that is, good environmental status (GES, Article 9). The analysis is also intended to provide basic information for the establishment of environmental targets (Article 10) that will subsequently form the foundation of programmes of measures and administrative funding (Article 13). The assessment includes an analysis of how different groups in society can be affected by how the sea is used and by marine environmental problems and measures taken to address them. This study presents a method by which such an analysis can be conducted. The method includes a conceptual model that consists of the components 'Indirect driving forces, 'Direct driving forces , 'Environmental pressures, state and impact', 'Impact on society', and 'Response'. The model is used in combination with a question template to analyse actors, activities and driving forces. Case studies involving three environmental problems – selective overfishing of cod and the unwanted dispersion of mercury and phosphorous – show that a large number of actors are involved, directly and indirectly. In addition, these actors operate on several levels –local/regional, national and international. Every environmental problem requires its own analysis and has its own set of conditions. The study shows that the information needed for making decisions regarding the measures that should be taken is relatively extensive. The determination of the amount of information necessary and therefore how much should be systematically collected in future can have a great impact on the development of society and the environment. Finally, suggestions are given as to how future social analyses relating to the marine environment might be carried out.
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