BLUE ACTION FUND A Lifeline for the Ocean
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BLUE ACTION FUND
A Lifeline for the Ocean
© PAUL COLLEY, FFI
BLUE ACTION FUND | A Lifeline for the Ocean A
© JEREMY HOLDEN, FFI
A LIFELINE FOR A HEALTHY OCEAN
Blue Action Fund (hereafter ‘Blue Action’) seeks to conserve marine biodiversity for future
generations and improve the lives of coastal communities in developing countries today. These
goals are complementary – halting the dramatic loss of marine biodiversity by strengthening
marine and coastal protection can advance local development and promote sustainable
livelihoods in coastal communities.
Our vision is of a carefully managed and sustainably used ocean full of abundant marine life
providing major benefits to people and the environment. By investing in the health of the blue
CONTENTS portion of our planet, we can turn this vision into reality.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were among the first to take action to protect the
A Lifeline for a Healthy Ocean 1 global ocean and coastlines and create sustainable opportunities for the communities that rely
on them. Launched in 2016, Blue Action provides a major boost to NGOs by giving them access
The Ocean – an Endangered Ecosystem 3
to public funding so that their conservation actions can be continued, scaled up and replicated
Marine Protected Areas 5 around the world.
What We Do 6
About Us – a Lean, Flexible, Strategic Funding Vehicle 10
What Have We Achieved So Far? 12 “We must conserve the oceans and their resources and use them for sustainable
Outlook 16 development. The Blue Action Fund is contributing substantially to this endeavour.”
Dr Gerd Müller, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development
© ASTOLTZ / PIXABAY
BLUE ACTION FUND | A Lifeline for the Ocean 1
THE OCEAN – AN ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM
All life on Earth depends on a healthy ocean. The ocean covers over 70% of the surface of our
planet and makes up over 95% of its living space. It also generates 50% of our oxygen and
absorbs more than 90% of our excess heat as well as over 30% of our carbon dioxide.
More than one third of the global population lives in coastal areas and hundreds of millions of
people are dependent on ocean-based industries like fishing and tourism. Particularly in developing
countries, where more than 95% of the world’s fishers live, fish are a vital source of both protein
and income. Marine ecosystems, such as mangrove forests and coral reefs, protect coastlines
against storms and floods – a service that is increasingly vital in the face of climate change.
But all this is at risk. A perfect storm of mounting human pressures, climate change, and poor
management is threatening our ocean and coastlines. Seawater is becoming warmer and more
acidic, fish stocks are being overexploited, mangroves are being decimated, and the ocean is the
final destination for never-ending flows of plastics and untreated pollutants. Add in economic
pressures – from deep-sea mining and oil production to tourism and shipping – and the burden
is becoming too much for marine species and ecosystems to bear.
It is time to invest in strategic action to put a stop to this spiral of decline in ocean health. After
all, we will never achieve a sustainable, peaceful future without a healthy ocean. Conserving
the global ocean and reversing the devastating loss of marine biodiversity is one of humanity’s
greatest challenges.
The ocean generates
50% of our oxygen
2% 50% 94%
of mangrove forests of live coral of fish stocks
© MATT CURNOCK / CORAL REEF IMAGE BANK
were lost between cover reefs have are fully (60%) or
2000 and 2016 disappeared since 1870 overexploited (34%)
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MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
The global ocean is an essential component of the Earth’s ecosystem
and critical to the sustainable development of our planet. But despite
its immense importance, only a small fraction of the ocean is effectively
protected and responsibly managed. Although the world’s governments
committed to a global target of achieving 10% marine protection by 2020,
today, less than 8% of the ocean is designated as marine protected
areas (MPAs). Fortunately, this number is growing and there is increasing
support for a new goal to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 to
ensure sustainability and help build up the ocean’s resilience.
But designating new protected areas is not enough. When assessing
these global targets, it is important to remember that many existing
MPAs offer little real protection in the water. Known as ‘paper parks',
these sites may exist on maps and in legislation, but in reality they
represent a lack of progress towards actually protecting marine
resources and ecosystems. If MPAs are to really serve their intended
purpose, additional effort and funding is needed to turn these paper
parks into effectively managed MPAs.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), between 2013 and 2018 less than 1% of Official
Development Assistance was invested in the sustainable use of the
Less than 8% of the ocean ocean. Blue Action seeks to fill this gap by investing in expanding the
network of MPAs, promoting the effective management of both new
is designated as marine
and existing MPAs, and supporting sustainable livelihoods in coastal
communities in developing countries.
protected areas “Whether we live near to or far from the ocean,
our life depends on it. Blue Action Fund’s efforts to
protect, conserve and restore marine resources
through nature-based solutions are critical for
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sweden is a proud partner.”
© TOM VIERUS / CORAL REEF IMAGE BANK
Per Olsson Fridh, Swedish Minister for International
Development Cooperation
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WHAT WE DO
Blue Action supports projects implemented by NGOs in their efforts to protect the ocean and
promote sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities.
The mission of Blue Action is to enhance the management and use of coastal and marine
ecosystems to conserve marine biodiversity for future generations while improving the lives
of local people today. Our grant programme is premised on the belief that projects supporting
nature-based solutions contribute to a triple bottom line: protecting biodiversity, supporting
sustainable livelihoods, and adapting to the effects of climate change. This is achieved through
projects proposed and carried out by experienced NGOs based in the target regions, in close
co-operation with MPA administrations, local communities, research institutes, and other
relevant stakeholders.
We provide targeted grants to national and international NGOs working in developing countries
to conserve marine biodiversity and enhance the well-being of coastal communities. By
combining the funds of major public donors, we provide a one-stop platform where NGOs can
access funds to support their work. This creates a conduit between NGOs, who are drivers
of change with local expertise and connections, and government bodies keen to strengthen
practical conservation action. The projects we fund support local, national and regional marine
conservation strategies and are all endorsed by the relevant government authorities. Blue Action
therefore perfectly embodies the goals of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
Blue Action issues Calls for Proposals every year, targeting the most sensitive coastal waters in
Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific, and focusing on projects with measurable outcomes
in two areas:
More than one third of
• Newly established or better managed MPAs or networks of MPAs that result in biodiversity
conservation;
the global population lives
• Enhanced local livelihood conditions and food security.
in coastal areas
© HANZ RIPPE
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The projects predominantly focus on activities that support: Protecting the globally significant marine biodiversity of Indonesia’s Bird’s Head Seascape:
Indonesia’s Bird’s Head Seascape is a global hotspot of marine biodiversity, home to over 600
coral species and nearly 2,000 reef fish species. Through this project, Yayasan Konservasi
Alam Nusantara (YKAN), the affiliate of The Nature Conservancy in Indonesia, aims to mitigate
multiple threats to marine resources – including biodiversity loss, destructive and illegal
MPA SUSTAINABLE SPECIES HABITAT fishing, mass tourism and climate change – by expanding the coverage of and effectively
GOVERNANCE LIVELIHOODS CONSERVATION / CONSERVATION managing MPAs, and facilitate the capture of economic benefits by local communities.
including: including: SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND RESTORATION
• management plans • saving clubs including: including:
• mapping and demarcation • sustainable tourism • gear selectivity • mangroves
• monitoring, control and initiatives • co-management initiaves • coral reefs
enforcement measures • reduction of harvest • conservation measures • seagrass beds
• data collection losses in fisheries for key species
• training of staff • empowerment of women
All projects are required to adhere to international environmental and social safeguard
standards, and are independently evaluated. In order to ensure ownership, increase synergies
with other efforts and leverage philanthropic funding, grantees must fund a significant part of
the total project costs (typically >25%). Last but not least, all projects need to be endorsed by the
relevant government authorities.
© AWALUDINNOER / YKAN
Details of two projects that Blue Action began supporting in 2020:
Strengthening MPAs, fisheries governance, and coastal community livelihoods in Cambodia:
Since 2016, Cambodia has established its first two MPAs in the Koh Rong and Kep Archipelagos.
With several additional sites currently under consideration for marine protection, the project
will seize this momentum to establish an effective, participatory, and equitably managed MPA
network across Cambodia’s coastline by 2025. Implemented by a consortium led by Fauna For more information about our grant programme, please visit our website: blueactionfund.org
& Flora International (FFI), this project aims to create 685 km of new MPAs and enhance
2
the management effectiveness of 729 km2 of existing MPAs, thereby supporting sustainable
livelihoods for close to 20,000 direct beneficiaries in coastal communities.
“The Blue Action Fund ensures that the focus on the important role oceans play in
conserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and facilitating sustainable development
is not lost. There is no other comparable ocean conservation fund in the world.”
Dr Heike Henn, Director for Climate Policy, Energy, Urban Development and Environment, and Commissioner for climate
policy and climate financing at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and
Chair of the Supervisory Board of Blue Action Fund
© JEREMY HOLDEN / FFI
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© PASJA1000 / PIXABAY
ABOUT US – A LEAN, FLEXIBLE, STRATEGIC Grant Programme: Structure and Governance
FUNDING VEHICLE
SUPERVISORY BOARD
A non-profit foundation based in Germany, Blue Action today has three government funding
(Representatives from BMZ, KfW, Swedish Foreign Ministry and AFD)
partners — Germany, through the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ) in cooperation with KfW Development Bank; Sweden, through the Swedish • Propose call strategy • Set programme and call strategy
Advise • Recommend project • Final decision on funding awards
Ministry for Foreign Affairs; and France, through the Agence Française de Développement concepts and proposals
(AFD). The Green Climate Fund (GCF) joined us as a funding partner in 2021.
IUCN MANAGEMENT BOARD
Support project selection
Created in late 2016, in response to the clear need for additional financing for ocean protection, Blue
Action is designed to take advantage of the rigour associated with public funders combined with the • Contract and fund projects • Propose projects
• Monitor project reporting and progress • Implement, monitor and report
implementation skills of experienced NGOs. It is a flexible funding tool that selects projects through • Assess project and programme impact approved projects
open Calls for Proposals, which are appraised and selected with the support of the International
Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which is a Strategic Advisor to Blue Action. Grantees: NGOs in
cooperation with local
Blue Action aims to strengthen relationships and identify potential partnerships between public
partners
funders, NGOs and local community-based organisations that are already advancing the ocean
protection agenda but lack the funds needed to scale up their impact. We are committed to
maintaining a very lean structure, with administrative costs well below 10% of total expenses.
“The Blue Action Fund is a collective opportunity to make a quantitative
Our funders are represented on Blue Action’s Supervisory Board, allowing them to set the strategic and qualitative leap for the protection of marine resources. It will help preserve
direction of the Fund and decide on the regional or thematic focus of its Calls for Proposals.
the oceans upon which many communities in developing countries depend.”
All funded projects must comply with national and international laws and support the goals of Rémy Rioux, CEO, Agence Française de Développement
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – particularly SDG 14 - and the UN Convention on
Biological Diversity.
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© RARE
List of Grants
GRANTEE TITLE AMOUNT MATCH PROJECT PROJECT
AWARDED (€) FUNDING (€) START END
Island Strengthening conservation in 3,121,912 4,475,474 02/2021 01/2025
Conservation Galapagos and Cocos Protected Areas
Yayasan Konservasi Improving MPAs and community 2,689,551 895,592 12/2020 05/2025
Alam Nusantara livelihoods in Indonesia
(YKAN)/TNC
Fauna & Flora Strengthening MPAs in 3,040,007 1,600,027 10/2020 09/2025
International (FFI) Cambodia
Wildlife Conservation Expanding and improving marine 3,000,000 648,539 09/2020 08/2025
Society (WCS) conservation in Myanmar
WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED SO FAR? WWF Scaling-up protection of Quirimbas
National Park, Mozambique
34,548 17,821 11/2019 06/2020
WWF Strengthening MPA management 3,057,571 1,002,022 08/2019 07/2024
in Tanzania
Blue Action has developed into a leading marine conservation foundation and is now one of the
Wildlands Conservation Improving and expanding MPAs in 2,997,995 1,207,030 06/2019 07/2023
world’s largest public funders promoting marine conservation and sustainable livelihoods in
Trust (WILDTRUST) the South-West Indian Ocean
coastal communities. We are internationally recognised as providing a cutting-edge solution
Wildlife Creating a network of 2,920,673 959,250 05/2019 07/2023
for filling the gap in ocean protection funding.
Conservation MPAs in the Western
Society (WCS) Indian Ocean
Key achievements since the start of operations in 2017 include: Wildlife Conservation Scaling up MPAs in 2,712,903 1,070,770 01/2019 06/2022
• Successful launch of the grant programme and grants awarded to projects in Asia, Africa, Society (WCS) Melanesia
and Latin America (see List of Grants on following page). Fauna & Flora Establishing a network of MPAs 1,941,308 648,288 10/2018 09/2023
• Six Calls for Proposals – targeting Small Island Developing States, the Western Indian Ocean, International (FFI) across São Tomé and Príncipe
East Asian Seas, Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, and Ecosystem-based Adaptation in the WWF Safeguarding Primeiras and 2,250,000 753,692 08/2018 08/2022
Western Indian Ocean – each attracting dozens of project proposals. Segundas, Mozambique
• Supporting 12 projects in 16 countries with a total funding volume of over €32 million, Conservation Fishing for a prosperous future in 2,750,000 922,200 04/2018 12/2021
targeting more than 100,000 km2 of new MPAs, around 350,000 km2 of more effectively International (CI) the Eastern Tropical Pacific
managed MPAs, and benefitting more than 200,000 people.
Rare Network of community- 1,635,075 546,003 03/2018 12/2021
• Expanding from one to four funders. managed MPAs, Mozambique
• Increasing the total available funding from €24 million to over €140 million.
• Establishing Blue Action’s Environmental & Social Management System (ESMS), which defines
procedures, tools and responsibilities for assessing, managing and monitoring environmental
and social risks and impacts within projects supported by Blue Action throughout the entire
project lifecycle, in line with international and national requirements. “The Blue Action Fund is a new and uniquely structured instrument
for marine protection. KfW will closely follow the Fund’s activities and
support it in the years to come.”
Stephan Opitz, Vice President of KfW and member of the Supervisory Board of Blue Action Fund
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Funding Blue Action Around the World
CI: WWF: FFI: WCS: WCS:
Fishing for a Strengthening Establishing a Creating a Expanding and
prosperous future MPA network of MPAs network of MPAs improving marine FFI:
in the Eastern management in in São Tomé and in the Western conservation in Strengthening
Tropical Pacific Tanzania Príncipe Indian Ocean Myanmar MPAs in Cambodia
Island Conservation: WWF: WILDTRUST: Rare: YKAN/TNC:
Strengthening Safeguarding Improving and Network of Improving MPAs WCS:
conservation in Primeiras and expanding MPAs community- and community Scaling up
Galapagos and Cocos Segundas, in the South-West managed MPAs, livelihoods in MPAs in
Protected Areas Mozambique Indian Ocean Mozambique Indonesia Melanesia
Key: Ongoing projects Grant agreements in negotiation Proposals under consideration Closed projects
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OUTLOOK
The next ten years are crucial for a healthy ocean. Marine conservation is high on the
international political agenda and the global community aims to set increasingly ambitious goals
and targets. This is creating unprecedented political momentum to turn the tide and take up
significant challenges. Major additional global conservation efforts and financing will be required
to close the funding and implementation gap to achieve the agreed goals and targets.
Blue Action is uniquely positioned to accelerate global support for marine protection and
inspire ocean optimism. Through additional Calls for Proposals, Blue Action will significantly
enlarge its grant programme and continue to make crucial investments in ocean conservation
and sustainable livelihoods, measurably contributing to the 2030 Agenda.
We look forward to welcoming
© SENORHORST JAHNSEN (CC BY 2.0)
additional funders interested in
joining our mission to become a truly
multilateral foundation.
With the support of more funding
partners, we can help restore a healthy
ocean that benefits all humanity.
“We are proud to be part of Blue Action Fund’s efforts to contribute to the
Sustainable Development Goals. Governments, NGOs, philanthropists, businesses –
© BETH WATSON / CORAL REEF IMAGE BANK
let’s join forces and make sure we conserve and sustainably use the ocean.”
Helen Ågren, Sweden’s Ambassador for the Ocean, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and member of
the Supervisory Board of Blue Action Fund
A Lifeline for the Ocean
16 BLUE ACTION FUND | A Lifeline for the Ocean BLUE ACTION FUND | A Lifeline for the Ocean 17FUNDERS
PARTNERS AND ADVISORS
© RARE
Blue Action Fund
Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 36, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
www.blueactionfund.org
@BlueActionFund
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