Implementing
Agency United Nations Development Programme
Region East Asia
Focal Area International Waters
Project Title Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in East Asian Seas
GEF Allocation US$8.0 million
Cofinancing US$3.4 million
Total Financing US$11.4 million
Dates July 1993-July 2000
Environmental · Coastal waters degraded by many kinds of pollution due to increasing population and
Problem
economic activities
Project Goals · Strengthen regional capability to manage marine pollution and implement international
conventions
· Develop pollution-monitoring network, and initiate long-term financial options to
manage pollution
The maritime countries of East Asia hold one-third of the world's population, more than half
of whom live in the coastal zone. Diversification and intensification of economic activities to
meet growing demands for food, employment, and shelter have placed tremendous pressures
on coastal and adjacent marine environments. As a result, the coastal waters of the region
have become contaminated by untreated sewage, industrial effluents, oils, pesticides, and
hazardous wastes from land- and sea-based activities. The increasing volume of shipping
traffic into and within the region has led to dumping at sea and oil and chemical spills, which
have attracted wide media coverage and public attention. The general public now perceives
shipping accidents as seriously threatening the livelihoods of coastal populations. The major
land-based issues affecting marine resources include proliferation of poorly planned urban
centers, mismanagement of coastal forests, and unregulated development of inefficient and
polluting industries. Unfortunately, many countries in the region lack the financial resources
and technical and managerial capabilities to plan, implement, and manage programs to
address marine pollution problems within their jurisdictions.
The Project This project, implemented by the International Maritime Organization, has been assisting
participating countries in managing East Asia's transboundary marine pollution problem. A
regional approach was necessary because East Asian countries have previously managed this
common marine resource with a range of water quality standards, pollution regulations, and
national development plans. A fundamental strategy of the project is to demonstrate the
national development plans. A fundamental strategy of the project is to demonstrate the
effectiveness and modalities of integrated coastal management in tackling marine pollution
from land-based sources. This decisionmaking framework and management process involves
all major stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, local communities, and
scientific and educational institutions. It also incorporates measures to prevent and mitigate
adverse impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems into stakeholder planning and operational
activities. The project is providing key stakeholders a better appreciation of the social and
economic opportunities resulting from marine pollution initiatives and the costs and benefits
of partnerships between government and the private sector.
Activities The project is developing:
· An integrated management framework for land- and sea-based sources of marine
pollution
· Working models on prevention and mitigation of marine pollution from land-based
activities
· Capacity building at local and national levels through hands-on experience, practical
training programs, technology transfer, and information dissemination
· Harmonization of pollution monitoring and analytical measurement techniques
· Networking among national scientific institutions, research centers, and organizations
involved in marine and coastal monitoring activities for sharing of information on the
coastal and marine environment of the East Asian seas
· Networking of public and private institutions in the region on the legal aspects of marine
pollution, status of national regulations, and implementation of international conventions
· Public-private partnerships as financial mechanisms to sustain local, national, and
regional marine pollution programs.
The project has launched integrated coastal management programs at Batangas Bay in the
Philippines and Xiamen in China. The project has also provided coastal management
assistance to the littoral states of the Malacca Straits.
Benefits · Reduce coastal and marine pollution in East Asia
· Strengthen capacity of government and institutions
· Contribute to protection of human health in coastal populations
· Serve as a model for replication elsewhere in East Asia.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a financial mechanism that provides grants and concessional funds to developing countries for projects and
activities designed to protect the global environment. GEF resources address climate change, biological diversity, international waters, and depletion of
the ozone layer. Activities concerning land degradation, primarily desertification and deforestation as they relate to the four focal areas, are also eligible
for funding.
GEF is a joint venture of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World
Bank. These three agencies implement GEF projects.
For more information on this project, contact:
For more information on GEF:
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
GEF Headquarters
1818 H Street NW
United Nations Development Programme
Washington DC 20433 USA
Mahenau Agha
Tel: (202) 473-0508 Fax: (202) 522-3240/522-3245
Information Officer
Internet Home Page: www.gefweb.org
One United Nations Plaza
New York NY 10017 USA
Chief Executive Officer: Mohamed T. El-Ashry
Tel: (212) 906-6112 Fax: (212) 906-6998
E- mail: mahenau.agha@undp.org
Senior External Relations Coordinator: Hutton G. Archer
Internet Home Page: www.undp.org/gef
E- mail: harcher@worldbank.org