@ green | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER . 2023

Malaysia has 16 seagrass species and is third in the world for seagrass diversity

BY KEVIN HOR

While the original intent of attending the show at KLPAC was to be mesmerised by some form of theatrical performance , the author was pleasantly captivated by the narratives of seagrass and its importance to marine life and coastal communities .

Malaysia has 16 seagrass species and is third in the world for seagrass diversity . While the author was not surprised at Malaysia ’ s biodiversity achievements and learning that the seagrass ecosystem is threatened , what was surprising , however , was that this information was so far off the radar of regular reading of the author .

What attracted this author ’ s interest in seagrass was its ability to contribute towards offsetting CO2 emissions significantly and provide shoreline protection , improve water quality , and provide a habitat for fish populations .

Shell-shocked at my ignorance , I began searching for journal papers and any other general information I could trawl off the internet , only to find that seagrass knowledge has close links with mangrove-related materials . Further reading unravelled more details on linkages with other nature-based solutions and the different carbon offset schemes available and supported by individuals and corporates worldwide .

While the author does not claim to be an expert in seagrass , the author feels that it could be quite a shame should others such as himself not be made aware of seagrass and its possibility as an alternative naturebased solution in mankind ’ s climate change mitigation possibilities .

Q1 : Are carbon offsets from seagrass projects worth the effort and time ? Carbon sequestered in coastal ecosystems is commonly referred to as Blue Carbon . In a paper published by Stankovic et al . 2021 , seagrass was reported to be able to store carbon for centuries . In contrast , seagrass meadows contribute to 10-18 per cent of the total ocean oceanic carbon burial despite covering less than 0.1 per cent of the entire ocean floor . These staggering performance figures resulted in the author ’ s interest to consider them an earth-shattering carbon offset programme . Still , would seagrass projects suffer the same fate as forestry credits , which have received widespread criticism recently for overstating their CO2 reduction abilities ?

Q2 : Are blue carbon offsets worth their pound of flesh ? We often hear about tree planting and other forestry-related carbon projects promoted as carbon sinks . However , as timber is a commonly used commodity in economic development , it does not seem directly plausible for large-scale projects to be economically attractive given the economic opportunity cost to avoid cutting a tree down . The tree must be permanently maintained and never removed for carbon to be captured and stored . Forestry projects could suffer from an economic versus environmental dichotomy . However , could the same be said of seagrass projects ?

Detractors of blue carbon argue that uncertainties in measuring carbon flows in coastal systems are much higher than in emissions in other sectors . Changes in coastal systems , permanence and leakage make conducting measurement and verification activities challenging .

Q3 : Can we agree on the environmental and social benefits of seagrass ? Isn ’ t it sufficient for parties who trade on a willing buyer willing seller basis a fair compensation for maintaining and protecting such a coastal ecosystem without further scrutiny and criticism ? Is seagrass a commodity ? Why be pedantically strict about measuring and verifying its carbon potential if not ? Why should this be subject to an exact science , given that the consensus is that having / conserving such a coastal ecosystem is good for the world ? If international negotiations since the Kyoto Protocol have not produced a vibrant carbon market , why should extraneous attention be given to measurement and verification ?

Q4 : Could there be consequences for not decoupling the tangible economic benefits of seagrass with a need for action ? There seems to be a lack of consensus that for the world to sustain further CO2 growth , more significant CO2 mitigation and adaptation activities must be implemented . No economy can bear the brunt of slower growth , let alone zero growth . Germany ’ s energy dilemma is a conundrum that leaves many wondering if a silver bullet exists for humanity ’ s climate challenges .

The paper by Stankovic et al . 2021 predicted that all meadows will disappear by 2060 under the current loss rate . Is current literature sufficient to compel immediate action to preserve seagrass meadows ? Are the economic benefits sufficiently significant to drive activities ?

It is challenging to generate economic incentives for conserving coastal ecosystems such as seagrass because many of the improvements in water quality and increased habitat for marine life do not have a market price . Should it , therefore , be possible for blue carbon to become the tool to incentivise the preservation of such land ?

Q5 : Where should policymakers stand on this matter ? Like forest and agricultural projects , offset credits are the defacto emissions trading scheme for seagrass projects , which face low-cost offsets regardless of the origin of the credits .

A marketplace place and conservation approach coupled with an origination story behind the creation of the credits must be promoted to support the broader strategic priorities of such projects . Japan will , in 2024 , begin to account for blue carbon in the national inventory calculations . As a resource-rich country such as Malaysia , it may seem like a loss opportunity to not account for such contributions in Malaysia ’ s inventory .

Of the possible nature-based solutions evaluated by companies worldwide , such as algae , payment for ecosystem services and forestry carbon offsets , it makes one wonder if seagrass conservation and seagrass meadow cultivation might be a better solution or prioritised since shoreline protection , improved water quality as well as protection of habitat for fish populations are directly beneficial to our economic growth and yield shorter returns ?

AUTHOR ’ S HOPE

Carbon flows within the highly variable environment in the coastal zone raise questions about whether emissions and removals are natural and which are anthropogenic . It makes it very difficult to measure , coupled with the lack of data in many developing countries , estimates of carbon sequestration are highly uncertain .

Would Malaysia be able to monetise the carbon from seagrass protection and conservation ? Would Malaysia be able to increase tourism revenues by leveraging seagrass diversity ? What might the opportunities and investments be to develop baselines to support the creation of a seagrass carbon methodology for Malaysia ?

These questions remain unanswered , but it is hoped that readers will become more aware of such a lesser-known climate mitigation solution .

At the time of writing , Malaysia is not a member or partner of the International Partnership on Blue Carbon . With a greater demand for CO2 offsets , would it be a good time for Malaysia to participate and explore further CO2 offset generation sources actively ? – @ Green

Kevin Hor is a registered professional engineer and a registered electrical energy manager .