Eligible Countries
Commonwealth Member Countries
Background
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework represents a pivotal international agreement established at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in December 2022. This framework aims to address the escalating threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, which are critical for sustaining life on Earth, including marine ecosystems. It calls for urgent and transformative actions to protect and restore biodiversity while recognising the interconnectedness of land and marine environments.
Coastal areas, which harbour a significant portion of the world’s biodiversity, face unprecedented pressures from climate change, pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and unsustainable development. These challenges have led to the degradation of vital ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, which play crucial roles in supporting marine life, protecting shorelines from erosion, and storing carbon. The impacts of these threats are particularly acute in developing countries, where coastal communities rely heavily on marine resources for their livelihoods and well-being.
The Kunming-Montreal framework outlines ambitious targets aimed at conserving at least 30% of the planet’s land and marine areas by 2030. This is a critical target for enhancing the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of marine ecosystems that are essential to both biodiversity and human livelihoods. The framework also emphasizes improving the governance of marine biodiversity and integrating sustainable practices across various sectors, such as fisheries, tourism, and coastal development.
This course aims to contribute to Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025 by offering a robust platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building. This course offers a timely opportunity to position Malaysia as a leader in marine conservation and regional cooperation. It aligns with the spirit of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) and Malaysia’s leadership in promoting sustainable practices within the ASEAN region. This course directly supports the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly: 1. SDG 14: Life Below Water by focusing on conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources, enhancing the protection of marine ecosystems, promoting sustainable fisheries, and reducing marine pollution. 2. SDG 13: Climate Action as coastal resilience is a key component of both the Kunming-Montreal framework and SDG 13 through managing marine ecosystems that act as natural buffers against climate-related events, such as storm surges, coastal erosion, and rising sea levels.
In addition to these two primary SDGs, the course also aligns with other relevant SDGs:
1. SDG 1: No Poverty as healthy marine ecosystems support livelihoods, particularly for coastal communities dependent on fishing, tourism, and related industries, thus helping to ensure that these communities can continue to thrive and contribute to poverty reduction. 2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger, where by protecting marine ecosystems, the framework helps preserve fish stocks and ensure the availability of vital protein sources for local and global populations. 3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth as promoting sustainable practices in marine-based industries such as fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism will contribute to long-term economic growth while ensuring the protection of marine resources. 4. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production by encouraging industries to adopt responsible consumption and production practices. 5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, where the Kunming-Montreal framework, along with Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, emphasizes the importance of partnerships and international cooperation through collaboration between ASEAN member states and other global stakeholders that advances partnerships to achieve the SDGs and marine conservation objectives.
For Malaysia, with its rich marine biodiversity and vast coastlines, the framework (1) opens up more economic opportunities to drive economic growth by attracting investment, stimulating job creation, and generating income from industries such as fisheries, marine tourism, and coastal aquaculture; (2) optimises the return of trade and investment (return of investment) since sustainable fisheries management, marine conservation certification, and eco-friendly tourism initiatives can increase the market value of Malaysian goods and services, thus supporting Malaysia’s efforts to attract investment into sustainable ventures that align with international standards; and (3) support Malaysia's commitment at the international level such as in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030, thus strengthening its international reputation as a leader in marine conservation and climate resilience while unlocking funding and technical assistance from international bodies dedicated to supporting biodiversity conservation. Malaysia’s experience in integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) and community-driven conservation efforts positions it well to align with global initiatives. However, continued efforts are needed to harmonise national policies with the Kunming-Montreal framework and tackle local challenges.
This course aims to equip participants with the tools, knowledge, and strategies to navigate Malaysia’s Kunming-Montreal commitments, unlocking new economic opportunities, optimising returns on investments in marine sectors, supporting food security, and mitigating climate change impacts. It will foster collaboration between international, regional, and local stakeholders to promote sustainable, inclusive marine conservation strategies. |
Objective
The course sets the following objectives that align closely with addressing critical issues, such as food security, access to education, and the challenge of climate change, all of which are vital for sustainable development.:
- Enhance understanding of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and its implications for marine conservation and coastal resilience, thus allowing participants to better appreciate how sustainable marine conservation can contribute to food security
- Explore best practices in coastal and marine management, with a focus on habitat restoration, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience, which in turn ensure food security, enhance climate resilience, and building resilient communities
- Develop strategic action plans for participants to integrate Kunming-Montreal commitments into national policies and coastal management practices that has direct implications for food security since sustainable management of marine resources ensures that overfishing and ecosystem degradation do not threaten the food supply
- Strengthen international collaboration through the sharing of experiences and strategies for effective marine conservation and expanding access to education related to marine conservation
Course Outline
The training course outline is as follows:
Day | Module | Content | Methodology | Proposed Facilitator(s) |
1 | Introduction to Kunming-Montreal Framework | Session 1: Introduction: ● Background ● Objectives ● Training outlines/ methodologies ● Expected outcomes
Session 2: Understanding the Kunming-Montreal Framework · Introduction to the objectives, targets, and principles of the framework. · Focus on halting biodiversity loss by 2030 with specific attention to marine ecosystems. · Global and regional contexts of the framework.
Session 3: Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services · Importance of marine biodiversity for ecological balance and human livelihoods. · Overview of services provided by marine ecosystems: fisheries, coastal protection, and carbon sequestration. · How does biodiversity support ecosystem resilience?
Session 4: Policy Frameworks for Marine Conservation · Analysing existing policies in relation to the Kunming-Montreal commitments. · Navigating legal frameworks for marine conservation. · Aligning policy and practice to implement effective conservation strategies. | Lectures | MIMA and external facilitators |
2 | Coastal Ecosystems and Resilience | Session 1: Threats to Coastal Ecosystems
· Main threats: climate change, coastal development, pollution, and overfishing. · How do these threats exacerbate ecosystem degradation? · Impacts on biodiversity, food security, and coastal protection.
Session 2: Restoration and Rehabilitation Strategies · Practical approaches to ecosystem restoration (e.g. mangrove reforestation, coral reef restoration). · Ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) approaches for resilience. · Best practices for rehabilitating degraded coastal areas.
Session 3: Climate Resilience Strategies · Practical approaches to ecosystem restoration (e.g., mangrove reforestation, coral reef restoration). · Ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) approaches for resilience. · Best practices for rehabilitating degraded coastal areas.
Session 4: Global Commitments and Local Actions · Translating global biodiversity agreements into national actions. · Case studies on local policy implementations aligned with global commitments. · Addressing threats like habitat loss, pollution, and overfishing through local strategies. |
Lectures, Case Studies
| MIMA and external facilitators |
3 | National Policies for Marine Conservation | Session 1: Analysing National Biodiversity Strategies · In-depth analysis of national biodiversity strategies (NBSAPs). · How do strategies align with the Kunming-Montreal framework? · Identifying policy gaps and proposing improvements.
Session 2: Integrating Biodiversity into Sectoral Policies · Cross-sectoral collaboration in fisheries, tourism, and maritime transportation. · Avoiding trade-offs between conservation and economic development. · Designing integrated biodiversity policies across sectors.
Session 3: Collaborative Governance and Stakeholder Engagement · Best practices for engaging stakeholders in marine conservation. · Models of collaborative governance: government, NGOs, local communities, and private sector. · Multi-stakeholder initiatives and their success stories.
Session 4: Measuring Success: Indicators and Metrics · Developing biodiversity indicators and ecosystem health metrics. · Governance indicators to track marine conservation progress. · Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems for conservation policies. |
Group Discussions, Case Studies
| MIMA and external facilitators |
4 | Site Visits | ● Visit to a Marine Protected Area (MPA) ● Case Study: Successful Community-Led Initiatives | On-site Exploration, Report Writing | MIMA and external facilitators |
5 | Group Presentations and Conclusion | ● Developing Action Plans ● Presentations of Action Plans ● Peer Feedback and Discussion | Group Presentations | MIMA and external facilitators |
Methodologies
The course will consist of interactive lectures, case studies, group presentations, and site visits to enhance participants’ understanding and foster collaboration.
The methodology breakdown is as follows:
- Interactive Lectures: 40%
- Case Studies: 20%
- Group Presentations: 10%
- Site Visits: 30%
