Global International Waters Assessment Regional assessment 3b, 3c Caribbean Sea/Colombia & Venezuela, Caribbean Sea/Central America & Mexico
This report presents the results of the GIWA assessment of the Colombia & Venezuela and Central America & Mexico sub-systems-located in the GIWA Region 3, The Caribbean Sea. The regional team identified habitat and community modification as the priority concern of both sub-systems. In the Colombia & Venezuela sub-system, coastal habitats are being degraded by a multitude of issues, particularly land-based sources of pollution. The transboundary ecosystems of the Central America & Mexico sub-systems have been severely degraded as a consequence of the agricultural and urban expansion, increased pollution loads and unsustainable forestry practices. The past and present pollution status and future prospects of these issues are discussed, and they are traced back to their root causes. Feasible policy options are proposed that target key components identified in the Causal Chain Analysis in order to minimize future impacts on the transboundary aquatic environment.
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