PEMSEA E-UPDATES Vol. VI Issue 10 2005
EAS Congress 2006 to Address Major Coastal and Ocean Sustainability Issues
The East Asian Seas Congress 2006 promises to be a dynamic and important forum on
coastal and ocean sustainability as preparations are being made to address key issues
affecting the region's seas. The Congress will be held on December 12-16, 2006 in
Haikou City, Hainan Province, PR China and will bring together high-level policymakers,
experts and various stakeholders for capacity-building activities, knowledge exchange,
strategic action and cooperation for the benefit of the Seas of East Asia.
The International Conference, which will be held from December 12-14, 2006, will
feature a series of Workshops and Seminars co-convened in cooperation with regional
and international partner organizations. The Workshops and Seminars aim to cover a
wide range of important issues, trends and developments currently affecting the East
Asian Seas region. The recommendations from the sessions will then serve as references
in enhancing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of
East Asia (SDS-SEA) framework during the Ministerial Forum. The Workshops and
Seminars will focus on the following themes and sessions:
THEMES SESSIONS
Sustainable Coastal
· Agenda 21, the WSSD Plan of Implementation
and Ocean
and the Millennium Development Goals
Development
· Communities and Sustainable Development
· Women and Youth in Coastal and Ocean
Management
· Environmentally-friendly Aquaculture
· Rights-based Fisheries Management
· Shared Fishery Stock Management
· Asian Fisheries in the Context of ICM Eco-
tourism
Coastal and Ocean
· Regime-building in Coastal and Ocean
Governance
Governance
· Approaches to Interagency Collaboration and
Partnerships
· Economic Contribution of the Marine Sector
· Integrating Social Science Concerns into
Coastal Development and Management
· ICM: Experiences, Lessons and Scaling-Up
Ecosystem-based
· Habitat Management and Restoration
Management
· Eco-system-based Management of Interrelated
River Basins, Estuaries and Coastal Seas
· Effective Management of Marine Protected
Areas
· Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas
· Large Marine Ecosystems
· Eco-system Monitoring and Indicators
· Transboundary Issues and Economic Trade-
offs for LMEs
Eco-labelling and
· Codification of ICM Practices
Certification
· Marine Stewardship
· Clean and Safe Beaches
Coastal and Maritime
· Natural and Man-made Hazard Management
Safety and Security
· Port Safety, Security, Health and Environment
Management
· Oil and Chemical Spill Contingency Planning
and Response
Economics and
· Incentive-based and Regulatory Instruments
Finance
· Innovative Financing
· Public-Private Sector Partnership
· Financing Waste Reduction
The sessions will bring together experts on coastal and ocean management to provide
valuable knowledge, experiences and insights on various topics. The sessions will also
include paper presentations by leading authorities from different fields and disciplines.
To date, 19 organizations have confirmed their interest in co-organizing the sessions as
Workshop/Seminar Co-Convenors.
If you are interested to participate in the Congress as a delegate or paper presenter, visit
www.pemsea.org/eascongress for more information. Register now and avail of the
special Early Registration rates (available until January 31, 2006 only).
Institutionalization of the Project Management Office in DPRK: A Display of
Strengthened Commitment to ICM
PYONGYANG, DPR KOREA -- After more than five years of implementing the
Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) program, Nampho City in DPR Korea has proven
the benefits of the ICM approach and decided to institutionalize the ICM activities and
initiatives within its Department of Land and Environmental Protection.
In a recent visit of PEMSEA Regional Programme Director, Dr. Chua Thia-Eng, the
Chairman of the People's Committee of Nampho City (PCNC), Mr. Ri Ho Hyun,
informed Dr. Chua of their decision to transform the current ICM Programme
Management Office (PMO) into a permanent structure under the Department of Land and
Environmental Protection known as the Division of Coastal Environmental Management
(DCEM). The Division's main function is to implement ICM-related project activities
and to continue with the current ICM efforts. It will also be responsible for the
implementation of the PCNC's decisions related to the coastal environment.
This institutional transformation is considered as a momentous development as it
provides a clear and legal mandate to the DCEM to undertake future ICM activities. Most
importantly, it demonstrates the long-term commitment of the People's Committee to
implement ICM.
To operate the new Division, an office space will be provided and six staff will man the
division. The existing PMO staff and facilities will be transformed into the Coastal
Management Research Center with the specific functions to undertake coastal research
activities and provide scientific support to the city government. The center will be located
within the West Sea Oceanographic Institute.
In July 1999, the Government of DPR Korea formally joined PEMSEA and in September
2000 signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the development and implementation of
the ICM program. The MOA launched the National ICM project in Nampho with the aim
to conserve critical ecosystems and habitats, as well as to prevent marine pollution using
the ICM management framework. Nampho local stakeholders also participated in the
development of the Nampho Coastal Strategy, which serves as the blueprint for the
sustainable coastal development of Nampho.
International Experts Call for Improved Fisheries Governance
VICTORIA, CANADA -- Strengthening management and governance capacities is
needed for addressing critical fishing issues in the high seas. This was one of the key
points raised during the International Fisheries Governance Conference which was held
on 31 October.
Over 30 international experts from diverse backgrounds and disciplines participated in
the conference which mainly addressed the governance of international fisheries,
highlighting the IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishing issues in the high seas.
The conference noted the need to see issues on fisheries, the entire fisheries systems and
its institutional structures within the realm of ocean governance.
Suggestions and key points raised during the conference included moves to: a) actively
encourage/pursue implementation of existing international commitments; b) improve
enforcement and compliance of commitments using market measures; c) reform the
existing Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs); d) engage extensively
developing countries, especially South East Asia and East Asia; and e)
encourage/facilitate the conduct of further studies related to ocean environment.
These suggestions and other outputs of the conference are to be submitted to the
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin for his consideration and for submission to the
leaders of 20 nations (L20) for political decisions. It is expected that the L20 leaders
would be able to push for the implementation of the suggestions of the conference as well
as provide resolutions to some of the issues on international fisheries.
PEMSEA, represented by the Regional Programme Director, Dr. Chua Thia-Eng, also
participated in the conference. PEMSEA shares the objective of the conference, as it
actively promotes the integrated and sustainable use of the coastal and marine resource
and environment in the East Asian Seas region. Through various activities, PEMSEA has
addressed different issues on the region's coastal and marine environment, including
fisheries management. The value of equitable and sustainable fisheries to the
development of the region is also reflected in the Sustainable Development Strategy for
the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), the regional framework in the management of the East
Asian Seas.
The conference was organized by the Center for Global Studies.
PEMSEA Develops IIMS Guide and Manual
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- PEMSEA's efforts in enhancing its Integrated
Information Management System (IIMS) for coastal and marine environment has met
with new success with the recent publication of the Guide to Establishing IIMS and the
IIMS User Manual.
IIMS is a decision-support system that transforms complex data into vital information to
help policymakers and managers arrive at well-informed solutions to environmental
problems. The IIMS software enables the storage, retrieval and analysis of various data
such as habitats and biological resources, demography, institutional profiles,
socioeconomic activities, pollution sources, environmental quality and physiographic
characteristics.
The IIMS User Manual includes the IIMS software in PC CD-ROM. The IIMS package
is for distribution to key government agencies and PEMSEA partners involved in
sustainable coastal development. The publications provide easy-to-follow instructions on
the requirements needed for establishing IIMS such as software, hardware, human
resources and data requirements, as well as offering tips for encoding data, generating
reports and linking IIMS with external applications like GIS and predictive models.
First developed to address the information needs of PEMSEA integrated coastal
management demonstration and parallel sites, the IIMS has since evolved to a user-
friendly decision-support system with improved functionalities on querying, external
software linkage, and web-based access. Networks using IIMS as a common database
platform are being developed at PEMSEA sites to promote information access among
stakeholders and foster cooperation to maintain a system that would provide timely and
quality information that would facilitate decision making.
PEMSEA Shares ICM Experiences in Lisbon Conference
LISBON, PORTUGAL -- PEMSEA shared its experiences and lessons learned in
integrated coastal management (ICM) and coastal and ocean policy development during
the International Conference on Integrated Ocean Policy: National and Regional
Experiences, Prospects, Emerging Practices (TOPS 2005), drawing keen interest from
participants.
TOPS 2005, held from 10-14 October, aimed at examining the growing world experience
in the formulation and implementation of integrated ocean policies at national and
regional levels and to draw lessons and suggest best practices to be carried forward to the
ministerial meetings associated with the Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and
Islands in Paris, France, 23-27 January 2006; the 4th World Water Forum, Mexico, 16-22
March 2006; and the Second Intergovernmental Review of the GPA, Beijing, China, 16-
20 October 2006.
PEMSEA Senior Programme Officer, Dr. Huming Yu, participated in the conference
where he shared the experiences and lessons learned from PEMSEA activities
particularly the on-the-ground implementation of ICM programs, the facilitation of
national coastal and ocean policy development and the Sustainable Development Strategy
for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). He illustrated how multisectoral and
multidisciplinary approaches were applied in the integration of various actions ranging
from poverty reduction, conservation and the improvement of management systems, in
countries with different social and economic systems. PEMSEA's practices drew interest
from the participants who were keen on understanding approaches on how integrated
policy can be developed and implemented on-the-ground and at the community level.
PEMSEA Assists Nampho in Securing Safe Drinking Water
PYONGYANG, DPR KOREA -- The People's Committee of Nampho City (PCNC) with
the assistance of PEMSEA, has embarked on the improvement of water services in the
Nampho coastal area with the implementation of the Drinking Water Supply and
Sanitation Project.
The project aims to provide about 300,000 citizens of Nampho City with sufficient and
safe drinking water by March 2006. In recent years, people in the Nampho coastal area
have experienced health and sanitation problems due to a lack of adequate safe drinking
water.
The Project generally aims to strengthen local capacity in addressing the problems of
drinking water shortage in Nampho City. This project was developed as a result of the
stakeholder consultation on the Nampho Coastal Strategy Development in 2001. In this
consultation, the imbalance between supply and demand of drinking water emerged as
one of the priority concerns of Nampho inhabitants. After assessing the condition of the
existing water system, it was identified that new equipment and facilities need to be
procured. With locally allocated funds and manpower, and some financial assistance
from PEMSEA, the installation of new pumps and piping system began early this year
and is expected to be completed by the end of 2005. Once the project and testing are
completed, assessment and continuous monitoring of the project will be conducted to
ensure its sustainability.
PEMSEA, through the Nampho ICM Project, provided assistance by contributing to the
purchase of three water pumps. The People's Committee expressed their gratitude to
PEMSEA for its assistance, which they consider significant in the acceleration of the
construction of needed facilities for safe drinking water in Nampho.
PEMSEA Interns Witness ICM in Action
CAVITE, PHILIPPINES -- PEMSEA interns experienced first-hand integrated coastal
management (ICM) in action through a field visit to the PEMSEA ICM parallel site in
Cavite Province on 15 November. The visit provided the interns with exposure on
practical issues and best practices in ICM implementation, both at the provincial and
municipal levels.
The visiting interns were composed of Ms. Anne Caillaud (France), Mr. Le Dai Thang
(Vietnam), Ms. Saowalak Winyoonuntakul (Thailand) and Ms. Zheng Yan Ling (PR
China).
The trip included visits and briefings on:
· the origins of ICM in Cavite and how it is addressing the environmental concerns
of the province;
· the benefits of a wastewater treatment facility in Gateway Business Park and how
it operates to reduce the environmental impact of factories;
· the operations of the Municipal ICM Council of Ternate, a coastal municipality;
and
· the negative effects of pollution on two coastal resorts where solid wastes can be
seen washing up along the shorelines of both resorts providing resort managers
with constant cleanup challenges.
The interns appreciated the exposure provided by the visit, which provided them with
significant lessons and concrete information on the implementation approach of the ICM
program in the province, as well the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with
local stakeholders of Cavite.
PEMSEA's internship program is part of PEMSEA's measures to provide opportunities
for highly motivated young professionals to acquire and strengthen their skills in coastal
and marine resources management. PEMSEA interns are expected to learn skills in
project management by taking a pro-active participation through direct exposure to
PEMSEA's work.
PEMSEA Welcomes New Staff
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- PEMSEA welcomes Mr. Jeremy Arevalo as its new
Library Assistant. He joined PEMSEA on 16 November.
Jeremy holds a bachelor's degree in Library and Information Services from the
University of the Philippines and has previously worked as an Associate Metadata
Specialist at Khalifa Digital Archives Services, an international archiving and database
consultancy firm.
Jeremy will be involved in maintaining the PEMSEA library as well as assist in providing
relevant environmental information for use in the development of PEMSEA materials
including the PEMSEA website.
PEMSEA Publications Made Available for Download
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- PEMSEA has now made over 50 publications
available on its website. The move aims to provide stakeholders with an immediate
source of online information and to share the experiences and lessons learned from
PEMSEA activities throughout the East Asian Seas region.
The materials available for download cover a wide range of topics that include: integrated
coastal management; subregional sea-area management; coastal and ocean governance;
socioeconomic valuation and financing; implementation of international conventions;
technical guides; and proceedings of various PEMSEA meetings and conferences.
The materials are available at: http://www.pemsea.org/knowledgecntr/readings.htm
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