Action plans
The Regional Seas programmes have several
common elements. The process of establishing a regional
programme usually begins with the development of an Action
Plan outlining the strategy and substance of a regionally
coordinated programme, aimed at the protection of the common
body of water. The Action Plan is based on the region's
particular environmental concerns and challenges as well
as its socio-economic and political situation. It may cover
issues ranging from chemical wastes and coastal development
to oil spill preparedness and response and the conservation
of marine species and ecosystems.
A typical Regional Seas Action Plan consists of the following
chapters:
Environmental assessment. Monitoring and
assessment activities provide a scientific basis for setting
regional priorities and policies. Regional institutions
and experts participate in a programme to determine the
causes of environmental problems as well as their magnitude
and impact on the region. These may include scientific baseline
studies; research and monitoring of the sources, levels
and effects of marine pollutants; ecosystem studies; and
studies of coastal and marine activities. Assessments are
also made of the social and economic factors that relate
to environmental degradation and the status and effectiveness
of national environmental legislation.
Environmental management. Each regional
programme includes a wide range of environmental management
activities such as cooperative projects on training in Environmental
Impact Assessment; management of coastal lagoons, estuaries
and mangrove ecosystems; control of industrial, agricultural
and domestic wastes; formulation of contingency plans for
dealing with pollution emergencies; etc.
Environmental legislation. An umbrella
convention most often provides the legal framework for an
Action Plan. It also expresses the political will and legal
commitment of the Governments to tackle their common environmental
problems, acting both together and individually. Conventions
are put into practice ‘on-the-ground’ through
protocols dealing with specific problems – oil spills,
response to emergencies, land-based pollution, and conservation
of wildlife and habitats, for example. In some regions the
convention has emerged as the centrepiece of the programme.
Institutional arrangements. Governments
agree upon an organization to act as the permanent or interim
secretariat of the Action Plan, usually called the Regional
Coordinating Unit (RCU). Governments also decide how often
to hold intergovernmental meetings to review progress, approve
new activities and discuss the budget.
Financial arrangements. UNEP, together
with selected United Nations and other organizations, provides
“seed money” or catalytic financing in the early
stages of the regional programmes. Ultimately, the Governments
of the region are expected to assume financial responsibility.
Government financing may be channelled through regional
trust funds administered by the organization responsible
for secretariat functions of the Action Plan (often initially
UNEP, later the RCU or a new independent regional organization).
For examples of regional Action Plans, visit the regional
pages.
Read the original (1982) guidelines
for Action Plan preparation
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