OPERATIONAL BRIEF Marine Spatial Planning BLUE ECONOMY FOR RESILIENT AFRICA PROGRAM © 2022 The World Bank Group 1818 H Street NW, Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 | Internet: www.worldbank.org Acknowledgments This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank Group with external contributions. “The World Bank Group” This brief was written by Juliana Castano Isaza (Natural In addition, the team received incisive and helpful advice, refers to the legally separate organizations of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), Resources Management Specialist) with contributions from comments and input from World Bank colleagues, including the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral João Moura Marques (Natural Resources Management Syed Adeel Abbas (Senior Climate Change Specialist), Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). 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The team benefited from insightful comments and guidance from internal reviewers including Marcelo Acerbi (Senior Environmental Specialist), Sylvia Michele Diez (PROBLUE Program Manager), Ruxandra Floroiu (Lead Environmental Specialist), Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez (Lead Consultant), Christian Peter (Practice Manager), Lia Carol Sieghart (Practice Manager), and Sanjay Srivastava (Practice Manager). BLUE ECONOMY FOR RESILIENT AFRICA PROGRAM | 1 Key About the Blue Economy for Resilient Africa Program The Blue Economy generated nearly US$300 billion for the African continent in 2018, creating 49 million jobs in the process. These and other crucial benefits—most notably food security, livelihoods, biodiversity, and resilience to the Messages effects of climate change—are entirely dependent on the Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a powerful tool for health and productivity of coastal and marine areas. effective, participatory coastal and marine management. By safeguarding productive coastal landscapes, countries will be in a better position to take full advantage of future Blue Economy opportunities, which range from sustainable blue energy to aquaculture to blue carbon. Given the centrality of climate change as an amplifier of current The World Bank’s Blue Economy for Resilient Africa Program, announced at COP27, will risks and pressures on coastal environments, climate-informed provide multisectoral analytical, financial, and policy support to Africa’s coastal countries marine spatial planning considers current and future climate risks and island states to help them leverage the opportunities—and manage the risks—inherent and opportunities during the design, planning, and implementation in scaling up their Blue Economies. of programs. Marine spatial planning can help design coordinated coastal resilience programs at scale and identify possible low- About this series of briefs carbon development and growth pathways. This type of spatial planning can integrate measures articulated in nationally determined contributions and other instruments, budget for those measures, and The Blue Solutions for Africa series of operational briefs monitor their progress. captures how a thriving Blue Economy can help African countries better manage the development challenges they face while supporting economic growth, sustainable Climate-informed marine spatial planning livelihoods, and the health of these precious ecosystems. can help the private sector better understand climate risk and invest in mitigation and adaptation measures to reduce it and THE BRIEFS COVER THE FOLLOWING THEMATIC AREAS improve profitability, while respecting the space required to maintain a healthy and • Climate change • Data management and productive coastal environment. knowledge creation • Coastal and marine biodiversity and habitats • Innovative financing instruments • Sustainable fisheries © Freepik • Developing and incentivizing • Marine pollution institutions • Jobs and livelihoods © Shutterstock • New frontiers of innovation • Participatory marine spatial planning © Freepik BLUE ECONOMY FOR RESILIENT AFRICA PROGRAM | 3 Introduction The Challenge Governments face the complicated challenge of needing to make policy decisions relating to coastal and marine For policy makers in Africa and elsewhere, ecosystems in the absence of a well-established body of marine and coastal policy—the rules knowledge about such systems. To complicate matters, that govern who gets to do what, the benefits that marine and coastal ecosystems where, and how in the ocean and on the deliver—which include resilience to climate change—are coast—poses a unique challenge, one highly contested and, ironically, vulnerable to the effects in which they must balance traditional of climate change. interests (like artisanal or industrial fishing, tourism, and shipping), with new Marine spatial planning (MSP) provides a framework for managing these tensions. By ones (like offshore renewable energy including a broad range of stakeholders in participatory mapping and decision-making processes, MSP reduces investment risk and improves investor confidence. This is important generation, desalination, and marine because Africa’s Blue Economy will require substantial private sector investment. bio-prospecting). This brief sets out how MSP can help governments better manage the dual challenges of Designing and implementing policies that solve this dilemma Current and expected trends for marine biodiversity make it climate change and biodiversity loss in a collaborative, participatory manner that considers in an equitable manner is difficult even where the interactions more important than ever to mainstream nature in decision- both present and future uses and creates an attractive environment for private investment between economic activity and natural processes are fully making, particularly when it entails climate change. This into the Blue Economy. understood. In Africa, despite progress over the past 20 years, requires spatially explicit information that decision-makers institutional weaknesses and inconsistent financing limit the can act on, focusing on climate change impacts paired with quality of data, leading to poor knowledge management and the location, state, and trends of biodiversity and ecosystems difficulties in addressing emerging challenges in various that coastal and marine economies depend upon. development sectors. Lack of public and private finance is still a major constraint to Working across sectors and using transparent, participatory meeting African countries’ global environmental and climate processes and tools are essential for developing a holistic view change commitments. MSP provides an opportunity to better of the ocean, one that spans across ecosystems, sectors, and understand climate change and environmental considerations infrastructure types. MSP is one such tool, and an especially in the marine space, and therefore facilitate investments in relevant one if we also wish to design coastal and marine measures that will reduce impacts and improve the profitability spaces that are able to meet the dual crises of climate change of blue investments. and biodiversity loss. Coastal and marine spatial plans can help close the Biodiversity and climate change are inextricably connected, funding gap by including actions to meet climate change with shifts in either crisis reinforcing, compounding, or commitments. For example, a plan can help optimize the use contributing to other ways that can cause global economic and of marine areas while allowing for economic development. wellbeing losses. Losing key natural ecosystems hinders our Part of the optimization may be to give areas of maximum ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change and, conversely, carbon sequestration more protection to help meet nationally climate change is one of the main direct drivers of nature loss. determined contribution commitments. 4 I MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING © Freepik BLUE ECONOMY FOR RESILIENT AFRICA PROGRAM | 5 What is Needed MSP is the process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives specified through a political process. This process provides a solid Spotlight foundation to integrate sectors, to make the case for needed WORKING ACROSS SECTORS TOWARDS A RESILIENT BLUE ECONOMY investments, and to effectively engage the public and private sectors and civil society. Coastal and marine spatial planning (MSP) provides a framework for balancing competing demands for coastal and ocean resources and areas. It allows stakeholders from all sectors—including communities and citizens—to explore and negotiate the most appropriate use of resources and MSP DEALS WITH UPSTREAM ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES BY GIVING coastal-ocean space for current and future uses. CERTAINTY TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTORS TO ACCESS AREAS AND RESOURCES. ITS KEY STEPS—WHICH ARE NOT NECESSARILY LINEAR—ARE: From the perspective of the public sector, MSP can (and operate in coastal and marine areas, paving the way for it should) account for climate change by facilitating mitigation to undertake these investments. Terrestrial systems with measures and ensuring that the plan can adapt to potential land tenure arrangements that legally grant ownership— future climate change impacts. The process also provides and often the right to sell—make land ownership a tangible Make the case. The process should begin safeguards for public goods and ecosystem services, such asset. Unlike land ownership, the exclusive economic with enabling discussions on the benefits of Formulate the spatial plan. This is a critical as biodiversity conservation, and it also ensures access to zones of most countries are not based on a tenure system MSP, considering goals that move beyond an step for developing a future investment resources for recreation and cultural purposes. or involve tangible assets, which discourages many private increase in wealth. These goals can include portfolio in the coastal marine space. Planning investors. Coastal and marine spatial plans, combined with enhanced climate resilience, biodiversity, social effectively identifies public- and private-sector By using an integrated approach to develop current and a permit (or similar system), can help to address this issue. equity, and pollution reduction. MSP entails a major shift from investment opportunities across existing and emerging marine sectors, future decision-making is more managing marine resources on a sector-by-sector basis to emerging sectors by allocating marine space efficient and effective. MSP significantly reduces the need MSP helps to deal with environmental and social issues taking an integrated approach. and establishing rules for sectors to operate within it. A for future conflict resolution. Approving permits aligned upstream of investment decisions, creating a more good plan will integrate sectors and find the right balance to management measures in an MSP is also a more favorable investment climate. A coastal/marine spatial plan A good understanding of the economics underpinning the between existing and future uses. This may require innovative straightforward process, reducing financial costs and saving gives investors a degree of certainty that project delays allocation of resources and space is a prerequisite for securing approaches such as co-location of uses, which in turn can time for both the public and private sectors. and stoppages are unlikely—especially if they take part in sustainable finance for MSP and plan implementation. attract investments that might otherwise be scarce. planning, because they have already had the opportunity De-risking and leveraging sector-specific portfolios through The estimated market value of marine and coastal resources to discuss environmental concerns or conflicts with other integration is another powerful argument. Implement the plan. Implementation is the and industries is US$2.5 trillion per year, or about 5 percent users. The planning process also improves transparency step where the investment portfolio envisioned of global gross domestic product. Securing the ocean’s in permit allocation and other decisions made relating to Create enabling conditions. Successful in the plan is realized. This is the stage where capacity to continue making this contribution—in support of the marine sector. MSP efforts require clear and transparent legal transformational change, such as establishing both the global economy and the Sustainable Development frameworks and processes to build certainty specific use areas, happens. Implementation is Goals—will require billions of dollars of investments, much for investors who seek predictable decision- often more effective when it has a schedule that is aligned with of which will need to come from the private sector. making. Like most planning processes, MSP specific sector needs and guides stakeholders and investors. processes typically involve trade-offs, creating winners and From the private sector’s perspective, MSP can provide losers. Transparency and certainty increase the likelihood some certainty regarding access, tenure, and the ability to that actors who do not get everything they hope for, or who are asked to make sacrifices, do so willingly. 6 I MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING © Freepik BLUE ECONOMY FOR RESILIENT AFRICA PROGRAM | 7 The World Bank draws on its financial instruments, convening power, and technical expertise to support African countries as they address the dual challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss through MSP. This support includes helping to identify trade-offs and synergies between climate action plans across marine sectors, data sharing, capacity building, and institutional strengthening. The World Bank is playing a catalytic role in the development of the MSP agenda by developing and applying integrated management tools to country and regional operations. The World Bank’s PROBLUE program has seen a global increase in the use of the spatial planning tools, from three countries in © Freepik How the 2020 to 19 in 2022, all of which are informing the preparation Blue bonds have and implementation of lending operations. Morocco and the potential to mobilise Mozambique are just two of the African countries that are private sector investment to taking the lead in this, and West African countries are leading foster a sustainable Blue Economy, while supporting ocean World Bank Group at a regional level. conservation, fostering the generation of economic benefits for sustainable ocean-linked activities, and restoring the coastal The World Bank and the International Finance Corporation and marine ecosystems on which we depend. Blue bonds (IFC) contribute to country and regional MSPs by coordinating can also have co-benefits, improving livelihoods and jobs for Contributes to efforts to increase private sector investment in marine sectors. people working in and around the ocean. As capital flows into In particular, the MSP efforts supported by the World Bank the Blue Economy grow, establishing and maintaining investor provide a solid enabling environment for private sector confidence is crucial. MSP could provide this confidence. investment. In 2018, Seychelles issued the world’s first sovereign blue bond. IFC has developed similar bonds for Solutions the Philippines and Thailand. Toolkit THE MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING TOOLKIT The World Bank Group recently produced Marine Spatial Planning for a Resilient and Inclusive Blue Economy, a toolkit comprising a series of guidance notes and factsheets related to the different MSP phases, and the data and tools to inform these efforts. The toolkit includes economic tools to balance marine uses and addresses key cross-cutting themes, such as gender and marginalized people, climate change, and biodiversity. Marine spatial planning (MSP) guides policy developments, institutions, and investments to build back better after COVID-19 impacts. By reducing investment risk and improving investors’ certainty in accessing marine resources, MSP provides a comprehensive and integrated investment framework, as well as a financial and social rationale for the Blue Economy. The toolkit was developed with financial support from PROBLUE using a collaborative approach that drew on inputs from a broad range of specialists within the World Bank and International Finance Corporation. © Adobe Stock BLUE ECONOMY FOR RESILIENT AFRICA PROGRAM | 9 © Freepik Marine spatial planning in Africa SEVERAL AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING MSPs OR IN RECOGNITION OF THE CROSS-BORDER HAVE ALREADY DONE SO AND ARE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF IMPLEMENTING THEM WITH NATURE OF OCEANS, THE WORLD BANK THE WORLD BANK’S SUPPORT. ALSO SUPPORTS REGIONAL MSP EFFORTS. Recent projects supported include: Mozambique has developed the world’s first Tanzania is mapping its capital city, Dar es • The creation of the Observatoire regional des littoraux national marine spatial plan, which came Salaam, as part of a broader urban coastal d’Afrique de l’Ouest (West African Regional Coastal into effect in November 2021. Through the resilience effort. The mapping exercise is Observatory, or ORLOA). The observatory is hosted First South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and being conducted by Tanzania Urban Resilience Program by the Centre de Suivi Ecologique (Center for Ecological Shared Growth Project (SWIOFish1), the World Bank provided (TURP), a partnership between the United Kingdom’s Monitoring) in Senegal and was funded through the West financial and technical support for Mozambique to develop Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Africa Coastal Areas Management Program. its first national marine spatial plan (POEMN). Approved in World Bank, which is also providing coordination support November 2021, the POEMN set out a vision and guidelines for a multistakeholder process that aims to transform the • Drafting of the regional West Africa coastal masterplan. for the development and management of Mozambique’s city’s Msimbazi river from a hazardous, flood-prone liability The West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program, national marine space, as defined under the United Nations into an iconic city park surrounded by prime real estate for financed by the World Bank, supports countries’ efforts Convention on the Law of the Sea, considering both current urban development. In addition to these efforts, TURP is also to improve the management of their shared coastal and potential marine uses. The POEMN was developed driving a greening initiative in the capital that included the and marine resources and reduce the natural and man- through a broad participatory process led by the Ministry of development of guidelines for sustainable urban drainage made risks affecting coastal communities. This program Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, involving the engagement systems, green public spaces, and general nature-based- developed the West Africa Coastal Observatory website, of more than 15 ministries at national and subnational solutions for the purposes of flood attenuation, reduction of which compiles data and information from countries and level, and consultations with dozens of organizations saline intrusion into groundwater, urban heat reduction, and regional partners to track the evolution of the natural and from the private sector, civil society, and academia. As an erosion prevention or control. built environment along the coast and marine space. In example of its proposals, based on a collaboration between addition, the program has drafted the regional West Africa Mozambique’s National Oceanographic Institute and the Morocco is planning to declare a new coastal masterplan, which provides a detailed analysis in Wildlife Conservation Society, the POEMN spatially defined marine protected area. In Agadir, the Souss terms of time-evolution, of coastal risk assessment and priority areas for considering the establishment of additional Massa region, the Government of Morocco is rating, and challenges. marine protected areas, in line with the High Ambition Coalition drawing on MSP, stakeholder participation, and web-based for Nature and People’s goal of achieving the protection of 30 geographic information system (GIS) support from the World The observatory and the masterplan are providing the percent of the world’s ocean by 2030. Bank to identify and declare a new marine protected area. The underlying data for the development of marine spatial plans resulting marine protected area will maintain vital processes in the region, starting in Ghana, Togo, and São Tomé and Guinea is developing a marine spatial in the sea, including photosynthesis, maintenance of food Príncipe. This, in turn will ensure that key oceanic sectors plan that draws on spatio-temporal data chains, movement of nutrients, degradation of pollutants, such as coastal tourism and maritime transport have the on mangrove ecosystems and land cover, and maintenance of biological diversity and productivity. In room for economic development, including at the local level, generated with the assistance of the United States the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, the Government of Morocco while ensuring that the natural environment has space to fulfill National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). has launched the National Integrated Coastal Management ecosystem services. The spatial planning efforts supported by In addition, Guinea is drawing on coordination support from Plan, which was based on spatial analytics of coastal the World Bank will directly protect mangrove forests, which the World Bank’s West Africa Coastal Areas Management resources and uses, as well as technical assistance from are among the planet’s most effective habitats for capturing Program to develop a detailed section within the regional the World Bank. The plan has identified priority investments and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. This would help coastal master plan that focuses on coastal risks. As part of to promote sustainable development of the coast. These countries meet their goals for reducing carbon emissions while this spatial planning effort, Guinea is also developing a marine investments include organizing the artisanal fisheries providing other ecosystem benefits, including against coastal legal environmental atlas that includes mining, oil, fisheries, sector and training fishers on best practices; supporting the erosion and flooding. and protected areas data. A pilot analysis on boating activities rehabilitation of coastal wetlands and stabilization of dunes; in the country’s exclusive economic zone, based on automatic and reducing pollution by constructing wastewater treatment identification systems and vessel monitoring systems data, plants, and recycling and valorizing plastic waste. To scale has been launched. up this integrated coastal management approach, the World Bank has worked with the government to design a methodological guide for the development of regional coastline and marine schemes. 10 I MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING © Freepik © Freepik Spotlight Case study USING MARINE SPATIAL THE ROLE OF MSP IN DEVELOPING PLANNING TO STRENGTHEN OFFSHORE WIND MARKETS MARINE PROTECTED AREAS Marine spatial planning is helping to plan offshore renewable energy development. MSP allows new MPAs to be strategically located based on high biodiversity value, ecological Offshore wind farms need to be carefully placed to ensure the sustainable, responsible, and safe use of sea-beds and water columns, while minimizing the significance, size, and proximity to human potential risk of ships colliding with wind turbine structures. © Freepik threats or other protected areas, especially in underrepresented regions. The World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) has identified four key pillars for the successful development of offshore wind markets: strategy, Further, it can be used to: policy, frameworks, and delivery. MSP plays a key role in each of the pillars (Figure 1), highlighting the importance of • Strengthen ecological and management linkages including MSP early and throughout the process of developing the emerging offshore wind market. between existing MPAs through their siting and engagement of stakeholders MSP is a core process for ensuring that offshore wind sites avoid areas of the highest environmental and social sensitivity. To date, ESMAP has drawn on MSP principles in developing offshore wind roadmaps for the Philippines, Vietnam, and • Provide a framework to improve management, Azerbaijan. There is great potential for developing similar roadmaps for coastal countries in Africa. protection, and enforcement • Provide a participatory and inclusive environment for all stakeholders, especially indigenous people and local communities that are connected to the MPA, and • Identify areas of natural and critical habitat near MPAs and enhance ecosystems within or near MPAs. Delivery MSP can also help facilitate Frameworks delivery of strategic Coastal MSP can provide the outcomes by accounting No fishing construction Policy platform to balance for the siting of ports, Biodiversity setback MSP can be a tool to conflicted sectoral shipping channels, and hotspots Strategy help implement an priorities and maximize the cabling routes. An energy strategy can inform marine spatial plans, that protects local and other uses, including policies and frameworks environments, or even co-location. that, in turn, help to deliver the strategic objectives for developments. Source: PROBLUE Figure 1: How MSP relates to the development of offshore wind markets Source: PROBLUE 12 I MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING BLUE ECONOMY FOR RESILIENT AFRICA PROGRAM | 13 INTEGRATED ECONOMIC SECTORS What Success A successful MSP process requires participation and support from a wide variety of stakeholders. This support is best generated when marine sectors can see the benefits of using a climate-informed, nature-positive approach. The benefits will vary by sector, as will the measures that investors or will Look Like managers need to take to reduce their climate change impacts. Possible measures for the major marine sectors are described below. Fisheries and aquaculture Successful MSP considers nature-based solutions where possible. It also involves the participation and support The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that climate impacts on fisheries productivity will not be Aquaculture’s potential role to mitigate climate impacts may include bio-extraction using seaweed. Many seaweeds take from a wide variety of stakeholders, including the uniform and will differ regionally. Some countries will see up carbon dioxide and nutrients, removing dissolved acids and increased fish production while in others, mainly near the nutrients and sequestering carbon on the sea floor. Coastal and economic sectors that most rely on—and can, in turn, tropics, it will fall. These changes, along with changing fish marine spatial plans can allocate space for aquaculture to areas affect—healthy, resilient ecosystems. distributions and migration patterns, greatly increase the risk on food security in coastal communities that rely on fisheries. that are away from critical habitats, transport lanes, and offshore infrastructure to avoid habitat degradation. Other measures, Coastal and marine spatial plans can use marine protected such as improvements in feed efficiency or genetic strains that areas, other closures, and fish management measures to tolerate a wide range of temperature and salinity levels, can adapt to these impacts. Other approaches include dynamic help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Adoption of zoning, which facilitates changing an area’s uses and climate-smart aquaculture technologies may increase species’ regulations in response to resource distribution dynamics. adaptive capacity and reduce disease and loss of fish through natural disasters such as floods and sea level rise. These NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS benefits ultimately enhance community resilience. Rehabilitation and restoration of healthy ecosystems and their services can return Shipping and transportation many benefits to humans and nature. The shipping sector’s climate focus is on mitigation measures rise and flooding, wave heights, and changing wind and to reduce ships’ GHG emission by at least 50 percent by 2050. current patterns. Blue ports can contribute to mitigation and Marine habitats like seagrasses and mangroves and organisms such as benthic macroalgae play an important Healthy coral reefs can Blue ports and transitioning to low- or zero-carbon fuels are important to reaching this target since between 45 percent adaptation efforts by ensuring that projects include GHG emission reductions, energy use efficiencies, and climate protect against role in climate change mitigation, accounting for 50 percent and 55 percent of the emissions occur while ships are in change resilience. MSP can also consider suitable marine of carbon buried in marine sediments. Mangroves and port. MSP can support the siting process for new bunkering areas for nature-based solutions to deal with dredge spoils, seagrasses also dissipate wave energy and trap sediments climate hazards facilities and shipping channels, while preventing and reducing rebuild or relocate climate-proofed blue ports, and reconsider to build and maintain the sea floor, buffering the impacts of climate, social, and environmental risks. Adaptation is also shipping channels. rising sea level and wave action from climate change. Healthy important, particularly for blue ports, because of sea-level by reducing coral reefs can protect against climate hazards by reducing wave energy by an average of 97 percent. Corals and other calcareous algae also provide the major building material of Offshore renewable energy wave energy white sand beaches and coastal dunes, which are the last line of protection between the sea and land. Mangroves are expected to adapt to about seven millimeters of annual sea level rise, but this may not be enough. by an average Offshore renewable energy encompasses a range of technologies: offshore wind turbines; floating photovoltaic while supporting climate mitigation. MSP can also decrease conflicts, foster co-location of specific activities, and help of 97 percent. Establishing limits to urban sprawl and removing or relocating arrays; and wave, tidal, salt gradient, and ocean thermal stakeholders and policymakers perceive the advantages barriers to the expansion of natural ecosystems will allow them conversion energy technologies. Offshore wind, which of renewable energy as part of the Blue Economy. These to shift inland if space is available, and therefore increase accounted for 34.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2020, has considerable benefits will, in turn, support meeting national and international their adaptability to sea-level rise. MSP can help implement mitigation potential. It also has a critical role in achieving the commitments and increasing energy supplies from renewable solutions such as extending marine protected area boundaries 1.5°C pathway by providing 10 percent of the needed carbon sources. MSP can also contribute to climate change mitigation and restoring native species in the context of a wider planning mitigation by 2050. The 2,000 GW of installed offshore wind by prioritizing the allocation or permitting of ocean space to process. Protecting habitats against other stressors will also capacity that the International Renewable Energy Agency uses that employ new eco-efficient technologies and power increase the overall health and resilience of existing coastal envisions by 2050 would avoid about 4 gigatons of CO2 sources that tend toward zero emissions (for example, fuel- habitats and thus their provision of climate change benefits. per year. Realizing this potential will require investments efficient shipping, electric engines, solar and wind power). of US$177 billion annually until 2050. This investment will At the same time, MSP can limit available space for polluting primarily be from the private sector, which requires certainty activities that fail to reduce their GHG emissions. of access to areas for development and prevention of environmental and social risks. MSP can provide that clarity 14 I MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING © Freepik BLUE ECONOMY FOR RESILIENT AFRICA PROGRAM | 15 Spotlight THE BOUNDARY-BREAKING BENEFITS OF THE MSP APPROACH MSP offers a transboundary, multi-sectoral solution to address nature loss and promote recovery by: • Spatially documenting regional and social differences © Freepik in nature loss, highlighting priority areas, including natural and critical habitats • Helping businesses • Using an iterative, responsive process to address how move from seeking narrow objectives to multi-faceted, climate change affects nature loss and communities integrated, holistic ones, as well as shifts to nature- smart activities and active restoration of nature • Bringing stakeholders together in a participatory process to better understand cumulative impacts • Helping neighboring governments cooperate on these issues and share relevant data. • Applying a holistic and integrated approach to all human-environment interactions, including those that link land and sea Mariculture Fishing Biodiversity hotspots No fishing Source: PROBLUE 16 I MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING © Freepik