Cross-Border, Nature Based Market Solutions to Protect Blue Carbon Coastal Ecosystems in the Californias

March 2022

Urban development is one of the largest threats to critical coastal ecosystems including mangroves. In cities like La Paz, mangroves have been destroyed to build housing developments due to population growth. La Paz, municipio La Paz, B.C.S. Photo: Octavio Aburto

nearly 42% of the state’s total, live in the three largest counties of the state: Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange Counties—all located along the coast of Southern California. 26 While the other two coastal counties of California’s South Coastal region—Ventura and Santa Barbara—are smaller in size, ranking in population 13 th and 20 th respectively statewide, they too have growing urban population and have their own development pressures. Interestingly, in terms of urban density, Santa Barbara County ranks #3 among South Coastal Counties, with a density of 1,039 people per sq. mile behind Orange County (ranked #1 with an urban density of 4,031 per sq mile) and Los Angeles (ranked #2). See Table 1 in Appendix.

A closer look at Southern California’s municipalities reveals much higher urban densities than the County averages with the municipality of Isla Vista (located in Santa Barbara County) ranking #1 with 14,848 people per sq. mile, an urban density that is greater than Boston, Massachusetts (see Table 2 in Appendix). The increased economic activity and urbanization along California’s coastline has come at a cost to the environment, resulting in great biodiversity loss. According to California’s Water Quality Control Council, an estimated 90% of the total state’s wetlands have been lost to date. 27 Some wetland types—in particular vernal pools, riparian habitat, and coastal wetlands—have experienced disproportionality high rates of loss.

26 https://www.california demographics.com/counties_by_population

27 https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/eco_health/wetlands /extent/loss.html

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