Blue carbon: challenges for definition, valuation and governance

Blue Carbon ecosystems (mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrasses) and marine sediments support the provision of climate mitigation and adaptation services, as well as of biodiversity. Nowadays these ecosystems are at high risk of degradation. Sea level rise, coastal and marine pollution, physical disturbance and global warming are major threats to these coastal and marine habitats and their ecosystems. In this chapter, we provide an overview of how complex the economic valuation of Blue Carbon may be focusing on: the definition of Blue Carbon; the biophysical measurement required for Blue Carbon valuation; and the governance and management challenges that Blue Carbon projects and policies face.