PRESGA

Regional Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA’s RPA)

What is PERSGA’s RPA?

PERSGA’s RPA is the Regional Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (RPA) leaded by the Regional organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This Programme has been initiated in close coordination and support with the UNEP/GPA (Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities) Coordination Office.

	Rationale

	Protocol Concerning Land-Based Activities: A Regional Protocol, to the Jeddah Convention, concerning Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden was drafted in 1999, redrafted in 2004 and was adopted by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in September 2005. It consists of 25 Articles dealing with several relevant issues such as wastewater treatment, solid wastes management and inspection. The Protocol would enhance the legal framework for the development and implementation of the PERSGA’s RPA.

Priority Problems:

The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is facing threats from land-based sources and activities. These threats vary from country to country in the region. On the basis of the findings of the country-by-country analysis in the region the following issues are established as regional priority problems:

Physical Alteration and Destruction of Habitats (PADH): as a result of dredging and filling operations associated with urban expansion, tourism and industrial developments. PADH is considered as a regional top priority.
Discharge of partially treated and untreated municipal waste water.

Goals and Objectives of PERSGA’s RPA:

The RPA aims at protecting the coastal and marine environment in the member countries of PERSGA (Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen) with the following goals and objectives:

Goals:

Prevent, reduce, control and/or eliminate the degradation of the marine and costal environments.
Recovery from the impact of land-based activities
Restoring the productive capacity and maintain the unique biodiversity of the RSGA.
Promoting the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
Protection of human health.

General Objectives:

Identification and assessment of problems.
Establishment of targets and priorities for action.
Development and implementation of pragmatic and comprehensive management approaches and processes.
Development and implementation of strategies to mitigate and remediate land-based sources of harm to the coastal and marine environment.

PERSGA’s RPA-Related Actions:

Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase: In close coordination and with financial support provided from the GPA Coordination Office the PERSGA has taken the initiative to prepare this phase for development of the RPA since September 2005. It presented into two documents: the first one (Part I) portrayed the "Road Map” of the Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase, and the other (Part II) detailed the “Project Portfolio”. The activities outlined in Part I are: Capacity Building Activities; Establishing Baseline Information on Sustainable Financing; and Development of National Programmes of Action (NPAs) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities. The objective of this Phase is to collect information and data, through Preparatory Activities, which are critical for the preparation of high quality project proposal(s) of the Part (II). These projects are:

Collection, Treatment and Disposal of Municipal Wastewater in the Coastal Cities of the PERSGA region with the Population over 50,000;
Identification of Pollution Hot Spots and Sensitive Areas in the Coastal Region of PERSGA;
Management of Marine Litter in the PERSGA Region;
Assessment of Quality of Bathing Waters and Beaches in the Coastal Region of PERSGA;
Management of the Hazardous Waste in the Coastal Region of PERSGA.

Unit concerning LBA: PERSGA has established the LBA Unit in its headquarters for development and implementation activities and projects concerning LBA, particularly the RPA in coordination with the UNPE/GPA Coordination Office.

Implementation Phase: This phase will follow up the Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase and will be designed on the basis of the results of the Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase. It is planned to include, in addition to the Preparatory Activities, other source categories of the GPA and other activities necessary for the full implementation of the PERSGA’S RPA.

Status of Implementation OF GPA-Related Activities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase: In close coordination and with financial support provided from the UNEP/GPA Coordination Office the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) has taken the initiative to prepare the “Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase” of the Regional Programme of Action (RPA) for the Protection of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Marine Environment from Land Based Activities. It presented into two documents: one portrayed the "Road Map” (Part I) of the Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase, and the other detailed the “Portfolio of Project Proposals” (Part II). The activities outlined in Part I are: Capacity Building Activities; Establishing Baseline Information on Sustainable Financing; and Development of National Programmes of Action (NPAs) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities.

The objective of this Phase is to collect information and data, through Preparatory Activities, which are critical for the preparation of high quality project proposal(s) of the Part (II).

These projects are:

Collection, Treatment and Disposal of Municipal Wastewater in the Coastal Cities of the PERSGA region with the Population over 50,000;
Identification of Pollution Hot Spots and Sensitive Areas in the Coastal Region of PERSGA;
Management of Marine Litter in the PERSGA Region;
Assessment of Quality of Bathing Waters and Beaches in the Coastal Region of PERSGA; and
Management of the Hazardous Waste in the Coastal Region of PERSGA.

PERSGA has established the LBA Unit in its headquarters for development and implementation activities and projects concerning LBA, particularly the RPA in coordination with the UNPE/GPA Coordination Office.

Achievements (for 2006)

With the support of the UNEP/GPA Coordination Office (and Regional Seas Prgramme):
Drafts of the above first four projects have been prepared.
Questionnaires on the above first four projects have been prepared for development of the above first four projects by national experts.
A joint publication “Financing for the Environmental Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf Aden”, January 2006, was produced. This publication provided a report on available options for increasing sustainable financing for the implementation of PERSGA activities at all levels.
A joint regional training course on municipal wastewater treatment management has been organized to be held in August 2006 for the member countries of PERSGA in Jeddah.
Launched Beach Cleanup Campaigns – as an annual PERSGA campaign- matching with the component (Marine Litter) of the RPA in each country.
Created posters with slogan of No Litter for the campaigns.
Translated a web site GPA document (Project Planning and Implementation for Wastewater Management) into Arabic, to be available in the web site as well.

Implementation Phase: This phase will follow up the Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase and will be designed on the basis of the results of the Preparatory and Fund Raising Phase. It is planned to include, in addition to the Preparatory Activities, other source categories of the GPA and other activities necessary for the full implementation of the RPA.

Planned Future Activities (for 2007)

With the support of the UNEP/GPA Coordination Office (and Regional Seas Prgramme):

Development of
The regional Project for the RPA-LBA, to be submitted to donors for funding.
Jordon’s NPA (National Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land Based-Activities). Yemen completed the NPA and Egypt still prepares it.
Management of the Hazardous Waste in the Coastal Region of PERSGA.
A Regional Action Plan for Sustainable Management of Marine Litter in the Region.
A Guideline for Management of Marine Litter in the PSERGA region.
Two joint regional workshops on the Regional Action Plan of the Marine Litter and on the Regional Project Document.
Joint national training courses on municipal wastewater treatment in some member countries.

	Working Group

	Working Group of Regional Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA’s RPA)