Supporting the sustainable use of the natural resources of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem along the shores of Angola, Namibia and South Africa for the benefit of local communities and regional biodiversity.

The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) is one of the richest concentrations of marine life in the world, providing significant natural resources for local communities in Angola, Namibia and South Africa and supporting wider regional biodiversity. Protecting this vital natural resource is essential for sustainable regional development. However the BLCME continues to decline in the face of continued development pressure, overfishing and a lack of effective management resources. This project aims to provide funding to i) facilitate collaboration among key state and non-state stakeholders to hasten the implementation of the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreemement (AEWA) International Action Plan for Benguela; and ii) undertake a review of estuarine systems along the Benguela current, a widely acknowledged priority action. The interfaces between the Benguela current and freshwater resources (i.e. estuarine systems) are key biodiversity hotspots, providing significant natural resources for local communities. But the benefits they provide are threatened by development pressures. The distribution of these estuaries and the pressures they face are not well understood. The estuarine system reviews will i) help fill key knowledge gaps; and ii) facilitate the creation of sustainable development plans to ensure the ecosystem services these sites provide are maintained. The review will use satellite-based Earth Observation tools to identify estuarine areas and, once identified, will undertake field visits to assess the development pressures on these sites through engagement with local communities. All the data will then be compiled into a report highlighting the extent of estuarine systems and the development pressures they face, including identification of potential solutions to reduce pressures on these systems.