[{"bbox": [97, 166, 694, 192], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## The protection, restoration and good management of biodiversity"}, {"bbox": [97, 192, 1162, 377], "category": "Text", "text": "Protecting and maintaining the biodiversity of the seven Caribbean OCTs is essential for their sustainable development. Reefs and mangroves are vital for the protection of the coasts against erosion and sea-level rising. At the same time, they provide the ecosystem services for their main economic activities: tourism and to a lesser extent fisheries. The impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are already reported by several OCTs. There is a very rapid decline of coral cover. One of the main threats to the marine biodiversity of the OCTs is the out flow from land, either from wastewater, solid waste or land erosion. Sanitation and waste management are therefore a major force to avoid sea pollution and the deterioration of coral reefs."}, {"bbox": [97, 378, 1162, 537], "category": "Text", "text": "While all OCTs have marine national parks, some of the OCTs do not have any terrestrial protected areas. Especially the protection of mangrove areas is called for. Invasive species are also a challenge to most OCTs. One of the invasive species that affects some of the Caribbean OCTs and all the Caribbean region is sargassum, a large alga drifting with the currents, causing a reduction in light and oxygen in shore waters. Due to climate change, the abundance and duration of floating and stranding sargassum in the region have increased. Caribbean OCTs face also other invasive species such as roaming goats, donkeys and monkeys, green iguana, lionfish, coralita and seagrass."}, {"bbox": [97, 538, 1162, 616], "category": "Text", "text": "In both intervention areas, gender gaps and barriers have been identified. While women play an important role in food security, they are under-represented in (especially commercial) food production. Children are most at risk, as it was found that they sometimes go to school without having had breakfast at home."}, {"bbox": [97, 617, 1162, 671], "category": "Text", "text": "Identification of main stakeholders and corresponding institutional and/or organisational issues (mandates, potential roles, and capacities) to be covered by the Action:"}, {"bbox": [97, 678, 1162, 811], "category": "Text", "text": "- OCTs' governmental organisations have focal points for EU affairs as well as departments staff dealing with agriculture/food and nutrition security, water management and environment/biodiversity. Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius have also a Nature and Environment Policy Plan (NEPP) coordinator. In some of the OCTs, there are universities and/or research institutes. Civil society organisations are active in environmental protection and local food production."}, {"bbox": [97, 812, 1162, 865], "category": "Text", "text": "The private sector is key with farmers and fishermen in the food security sector and private companies dealing with water supply as well as, for example, on innovations regarding sargassum valorisation."}, {"bbox": [97, 891, 441, 917], "category": "Text", "text": "The main stakeholders per theme are:"}, {"bbox": [97, 918, 537, 943], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### The strengthening of food and nutrition security"}, {"bbox": [97, 946, 1162, 1052], "category": "Text", "text": "**Governmental:** local ministries/departments dealing with agriculture and food quality and their gender focal point if existing. They will be responsible for ensuring that relevant policies and strategies are being designed and executed to ensure the implementation of the proposed activities as well as how to incentivize and regulate space for private sector involvement in agricultural finance."}, {"bbox": [97, 1052, 1162, 1131], "category": "Text", "text": "**Research:** OCTs' universities and schools since there is the need to develop agricultural curriculum and to provide pertinent research (notably on integrated water management) and training for the relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries targeted in the Action."}, {"bbox": [97, 1132, 1162, 1238], "category": "Text", "text": "**Civil society stakeholders:** farmers' and fishermen's cooperatives (including women's cooperatives) and associations to enable the collaboration with farmers and producers along the value chain. Water use efficiency is an important area of attention for these stakeholders. When possible, relevant women's rights organisations and civil society organisations representing young people and persons with disabilities will be consulted and associated."}, {"bbox": [97, 1239, 1162, 1318], "category": "Text", "text": "**Private sector:** water companies as they play a major role in collecting rainwater, storage of water and treatment of used water. The potential to re-use treated water for agriculture depends on the quality of their services. In addition, private sector access to long-term affordable financing to minimize credit risks."}, {"bbox": [97, 1344, 694, 1370], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## The protection, restoration and good management of biodiversity"}, {"bbox": [97, 1371, 1162, 1450], "category": "Text", "text": "**Governmental:** local ministries/departments and dealing with environment, energy, sanitation and tourism and their gender focal points, if existing. They will be responsible for ensuring that relevant policies and strategies are being designed and executed to ensure the implementation of the proposed activities."}, {"bbox": [97, 1450, 1162, 1529], "category": "Text", "text": "**Research:** local universities in the Caribbean OCTs (Aruba¹², Curaçao and Sint Maarten) or partnerships with other universities. They will be engaged for developing research on invasive species, including Sargassum, and on coral restoration as well as analysing earth monitoring data."}, {"bbox": [86, 1596, 1142, 1645], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹² Thanks to EU support, Aruba University has now in place a curriculum on Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)."}, {"bbox": [1028, 1653, 1143, 1680], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 8 of 25"}]