2. COASTAL AREAS Phnom Penh, Cambodia Isahaya Bay, Japan Knife River Delta, Canada Ijsselmeer, Netherlands Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador Huang He Delta, China Thonburi, Thailand Sundarban, India/Bangladesh Coast of Spain, Credit: Digital Globe

3. COASTAL FACTS The oceans cover 70 per cent of the planet’s surface area and marine and coastal environments contain diverse habitats that support an abundance of marine life; coastal zones account for 20 per cent of the world’s land area The oceans cover 70 percent of the planet’s surface area and UNEP-CBD 2005; GEO Year Book 2006; UNEP 2005 Coral reef ecosystems are increasingly being degraded and destroyed worldwide by a variety of human activities and by global warming Global harvests for marine fisheries have been above 80 million tonnes per year since the latter half of the 1980s, with peak of 87 million tonnes in 1997 and 2000 Mangroves extend over 18 million hectares (44 million acres) worldwide, covering a quarter of the world’s tropical coastlines

4. Shrimp farms replacing mangroves in Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras 1987-1999: shrimp farms and ponds have mushroomed, carpeting the landscape around the Gulf of Fonseca, in blocks of blue and black shapes

5. Loss of Mangrove in Ecuador’s largest seaport - Gulf of Guayaquil 1985-2000: Loss of mangrove; aquaculture grew 30 percent in a 15-year period

6. Dramatic changes in Huang He Delta, China Images show the mouth of the Yellow River and the emergence of a huge parrot-headed peninsula 1979-2000: Huang He’s yellow color is the result of huge loads of sediments

7. Changes in Huang He Delta, China From 1989 to 1995 the Yellow River delta area grew From 1995 to 2000 the Yellow River delta area shrank Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

8. Replacement of mangroves by aquaculture in Thon Buri, Thailand 1973-1978: Area is caught in the battle between needs of people versus the welfare of the coastal areas 2002: Shows extensive aquaculture ponds (blue patches inland)

9. Sundarban: Largest mangrove forest of the world, India/Bangladesh Forest degradation has been occurring in many parts of Sundarbans Shrimp farming is a major threat to mangrove forests

10. These images show the extent of flooding and extensive ditches and canals used for irrigation 2000: Taken during the period of flooding 2001: Taken after the flood waters had receded Impact of flooding in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

11. 1993: Turning tidal lands into farmlands 2001: The straight line of the sea wall is visible 2003: The area has been fully reclaimed from the sea Land reclamation changes along Isahaya Bay, Japan

12. Coastal vegetation change along Knife River Delta, Canada 1973: Impact of snow geese on coastal vegetation 1996: Overgrazing has turned the shoreline into an enormous mudflat

13. These images show the transformation of polders (areas of reclaimed land) into useable farming land 1973-2004: lighter blue water is the Markermeer – buffer against floodwaters 2004: this area of reclaimed land was covered with farms Transformation of Ijsselmeer The Netherlands

14. One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment Thank You! Free Downloads: www.na.unep.net Purchase: www.Earthprint.com COASTAL AREAS