[{"bbox": [81, 120, 1164, 180], "category": "Text", "text": "passengers visit the island (457 000 in 2019)⁸ each year. The number of lodging (2182 hotel rooms in 2021) is increasing steadily, with more planned. Bonaire is rated among the best diving locations in the world."}, {"bbox": [81, 182, 1164, 424], "category": "Text", "text": "The island's economy relies largely on tourism, but the main contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the construction sector (addressing the need for accommodation for both the growing population and tourism alike). The island's single export article is salt (Cargill). Among Bonaire's challenges are the need to safeguard the environment and to foster resilience related to climate change effects, the trade deficit and the dominance of a single economic activity. Bonaire hosts international biodiversity hotspots (i.e. RAMSAR sites) and rich marine ecosystems; but these ecosystems, especially the coral reefs, are under increasing human pressure in part due to nutrients that flow into the sea as a result of deficient pit-latrines and septic tanks. Additionally, there is a need for both rainwater drainage and retention during the dry seasons for irrigation and maintaining groundwater levels."}, {"bbox": [81, 437, 335, 465], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 2.1.3 Strategic framework"}, {"bbox": [81, 480, 1164, 631], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action is fully aligned with the objectives of the Green Deal, namely the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems and the improvement of wastewater management. The Green Deal is the EU strategy to attain climate neutrality by 2050 and to further cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% below 1990 levels by 2030. Restoring nature and biodiversity ecosystems contributes to absorbing and storing carbon. In addition, circular and sustainable management of water resources will be key to the resilience to the effects of climate change."}, {"bbox": [81, 646, 1164, 827], "category": "Text", "text": "Building on the achievements of previous EDF territorial programmes on the island, this Action will strengthen the long-term partnership between Bonaire and the EU in Green and Clean Infrastructures. As part of the Global Gateway, investments will ensure quality infrastructure respecting the highest social and environmental standards contributing to the mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The Global Gateway is the EU's approach to connect countries and territories, people and economies through investments that help them in speeding up their green transition and move to a circular economy."}, {"bbox": [81, 842, 1164, 899], "category": "Text", "text": "It will also contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mainly the Sustainable Development Goals 6 'Ensure access to water and sanitation for all' and 14 'Life below water'."}, {"bbox": [81, 914, 1164, 1004], "category": "Text", "text": "Additionally, the Action will be informed by the EU Gender Action Plan (GAPIII 2021-2025)⁹, especially its key area of engagement 'Addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities offered by the green transition and the digital transformation'."}, {"bbox": [81, 1018, 1164, 1200], "category": "Text", "text": "Besides, Bonaire will be eligible for the InvestEU Programme¹⁰ on a competitive basis, which aims to stimulate the European economy through the provision of crucial support, notably guarantees, to the Union's medium- and long-term policy priorities. It will be needed to further reflect, notably though the technical assistance, on how InvestEU could complement this Action on water and sanitation, which will reinforce the enabling conditions for investments in these sectors. It should be noted, however, that Dutch OCTs require approval from the central Dutch government to enter into loan agreements."}, {"bbox": [81, 1228, 326, 1258], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2 Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [81, 1275, 1164, 1396], "category": "Text", "text": "The overarching challenge is the continuous deterioration of marine and terrestrial biodiversity, which also threatens the main economic activity of the island, which is sustainable tourism. Causal contributors to this deterioration are climate change (increasing seawater temperature) and the inflow of nutrients into the ocean water, resulting from both waste and stormwater. This inflow is increased by the rapidly growing population and the expanding tourism industry."}, {"bbox": [81, 1409, 1164, 1529], "category": "Text", "text": "Pollution caused by stormwater is related to climate change (heavy rainfall) and to the expansion of built environment (less natural run-off to catchment areas). The coral reef surrounding the island is extremely sensitive to even low levels of nutrients in the marine environment. Coral bleaching and algae growth cause a rapid erosion of reefs, and the loss of shallow water stands of elkhorn corals may reduce protection from wave action, leading to beach erosion."}, {"bbox": [85, 1583, 499, 1608], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ Source: CBS Caribbean Netherlands. Statline."}, {"bbox": [85, 1608, 671, 1659], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_2184\nThe GAP III is, however, not directly applicable to OCTs."}, {"bbox": [85, 1656, 413, 1682], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁰ https://investeu.europa.eu/index_en"}, {"bbox": [1037, 1681, 1144, 1707], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 25"}]