Headlines: Major intergovernmental agreements and actors Action programmes, strategies, and research State of the regional environment GEF Projects in the region Other actors and initiatives Major intergovernmental agreements and actors North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, NAAEC The NAAEC is the environmental side agreement to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The NAAEC was signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States and came into force January 1, 1994. The Agreement creates a framework to better conserve, protect and enhance the North American environment through cooperation and effective enforcement of environmental laws.The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is the executive body for the Agreement. The Commission addresses regional environmental concerns in North America, helps prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts, and promotes the effective enforcement of environmental law, all as part of its mandate under the Agreement. This is done through the following programs: Environment, Economy and Trade; Conservation of Biodiversity; Pollutants and Health; Law and Policy; and Other Initiatives. Marine issues are found under "Stewardship for Shared Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems and Transboundary Species": Cooperation on the Protection of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems; Mapping Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of North America [will commence in 2001]; North American Marine Protected Areas Network; and North American Biodiversity Conservation Mechanisms. Treaty on the Utilization of Water of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande The 1944 Treaty distributes the waters in the international segment of the Rio Grande from Fort Quitman, Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. This treaty also authorizes the two countries to construct operate and maintain dams on the main channel of the Rio Grande. The 1944 Treaty builds on previous conventions, going back to 1884. The 1944 Treaty changed the name of the Internaional Boundary Commission to the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), and in Article 3 the two governments entrusted the IBWC to give preferential attention of the solution of all border sanitation problems. See also, e.g., the cooperation project of the International Wastewater Treatment Plant, jointly serving the cities of Tijuana and San Diego. Action programmes, strategies and research UNEP Regional Seas Programme The Regional Seas Programme was initiated in 1974 as a global programme implemented through regional components. The Regional Seas Programme is UNEP's main framework in the field of the coastal and marine environment. It includes 14 regions and three partner seas, involves more than 140 coastal states, and focuses on sustainable development of coastal and marine areas. Each regional action plan is formulated according to the needs and priorities of the region as perceived by the Governments concerned. Regional conventions are in place for several areas. See a map of all regional seas, and go to more information on the Black Sea, Wider Caribbean, Mediterranean, East Asian Seas, South Asian Seas, Eastern Africa, Kuwait Region, North West Pacific, Red Sea And Gulf of Aden, South East Pacific, North East Pacific, South Pacific, Upper South West Atlantic, and West and Central Africa. The UNEP Regional Seas web site also contains information on What's at stake, Major threats, and Actions. State of the regional environment GEO 2000 State of the Environment: North America Global Enviroment Outlook 2000. GEO is: a global environmental assessment process, the GEO Process, that is cross-sectoral and participatory. It incorporates regional views and perceptions, and builds consensus on priority issues and actions through dialogue among policy-makers and scientists at regional and global levels. GEO outputs, in printed and electronic formats, including the GEO Report series. This series makes periodic reviews of the state of the world's environment, and provides guidance for decision-making processes such as the formulation of environmental policies, action planning and resource allocation. Other outputs include technical reports, a web site and a publication for young people. GEF Projects in the region None. Other actors, initiatives and resources International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management, ICLARM An international research organization "devoted to improving the productivity, management and conservation of aquatic resources for the benefit of users and consumers in developing countries". ICLARM is one of the research centres of CGIAR, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. See, for example, Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Project: The Role of Marine Protected Areas in Fisheries Management and Biodiversity Conservation in Coral Reef Ecosystems. ICLARM, in collaboration with the the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other partners, and with support from the European Commission, has also developed FishBase, a global information system on fishes for research scientists, fisheries managers, zoologists and many more. FishBase contains full information on 23,500 species. Furthermore, ICLARM has developed similar systems on coral reefs and their resources (ReefBase) and management of fish stocks in Asia (TrawlBase). International Coral Reef Initiative, ICRI An environmental partnership that brings stakeholders together with the objective of sustainable use and conservation of coral reefs for future generations. ICRI is an informal mechanism that allows representatives of over 80 developing countries with coral reefs to sit in equal partnership with major donor countries and development banks, international environmental and development agencies, scientific associations, the private sector and NGOs to decide on the best strategies to conserve the world's coral reef resources. Coral Health and Monitoring Programme, NOOA The mission of the NOOA Coral Health and Monitoring Program is to provide services to help improve and sustain coral reef health throughout the world. Long term goals:Establish an international network of coral reef researchers for the purpose of sharing knowledge and information on coral health and monitoring.Provide near real-time data products derived from satellite images and monitoring stations at coral reef areas. Provide a data repository for historical data collected from coral reef areas. Add to the general fund of coral reef knowledge.See also Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, GCRMN. Gulf of California, Mexico, Programme Conservation International collaborates with a range of Mexican and international institutions to identify and develop solutions to the Gulf of California's critical environmental challenges, and to bring together diverse institutions to develop and implement an integrated strategy for the Gulf's long-term conservation. CI works with twenty different institutions, including the government and the private sector, to promote a conservation awareness campaign, reduce the introduction of exotic species to the Gulf Islands, develop management tools for artisanal fisheries, and create strategies for low-impact industrial fishing. Gulf of California - a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) A Large Marine Ecosystem, LME, is a "region of ocean space encompassing coastal areas from river basins and estuaries to the seaward boundary of continental shelves and the seaward margins of coastal current systems. It is a relatively large region characterized by distinct bathymetry, hydrography, productivity, and trophically dependent populations." See also Rhode Island University map of LMEs.