Marine conservation

The Asia and the Pacific region has the highest level of marine biodiversity on the planet and about 75% of the world's coral reefs. However, high population growth, strong economic development and rapid industrialization are exerting pressures on the region's coastal and marine resources.

UNEP is addressing transboundary marine environmental and biodiversity issues through regional collaboration, while assisting national governments to strengthen the sustainable management of their coastal and marine resources. This include efforts to address the problems of:

• loss and degradation of coastal and marine habitats;
• increasing pollution loads from land-based activities affecting the marine environment;
• need for improved coastal and marine information management; and
• lack of awareness on the value and vulnerability of coastal and marine resources.

UNEP activities are implemented through the Regional Seas Programmes for the East Asian Seas and the Northwest Pacific, the UNEP GEF Project on Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand, and the Indian-Ocean - South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding.

East Asian Seas Action Plan

The Action Plan for the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Marine and Coastal Areas of the East Asian Seas Region (East Asian Seas Action Plan) was adopted by five countries in 1981 as part of UNEP's Regional Seas Programme. The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) oversees the implementation of this Action Plan. In 1994 five new members joined COBSEA, which now consists of the ten countries - Australia, Cambodia, People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. In 2008, the New Strategic Direction for COBSEA (2008-2012) was adopted. According to this new direction, COBSEA will focus its work on the following core areas:

• Marine- and land-based pollution;
• Coastal and marine habitat conservation; and
• Management and response to coastal disasters.

It will implement this through four inter-linked strategies, i.e.  information management, national capacity building, addressing strategic and emerging issues and regional cooperation.
The secretariat for COBSEA was established in 1993. The COBSEA secretariat and coordinates the implementation of the Action Plan with governments, UN and donor agencies, and communities. It works closely with the UNEP/GPA (Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities) and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). Further information is available from http://www.cobsea.org

Northwest Pacific Action Plan

The Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP) was adopted by the People's Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation in September 1994 as a part of the Regional Seas Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Implementation of NOWPAP contributes also to the Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities in the Northwest Pacific region.

The overall goal of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan is "the wise use, development and management of the marine and coastal environment so as to obtain the utmost long-term benefits for the human populations of the region, while securing the region's sustainability for future generations". The geographical scope of NOWPAP covers the marine environment and coastal zones from about 121 degrees E to 143 degrees E longitude, and from approximately 52 degrees N to 33 degrees N latitude.

The Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) is the high-level governing body of NOWPAP that provides policy guidance and makes decisions. In accordance with the IGM decisions, four Regional Activity Centres (RACs) were established between 2000 and 2002 to carry out individual NOWPAP activities. Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) was set up in Toyama, Japan and Busan, Republic of Korea, in November 2004 for the overall coordination of NOWPAP implementation. Further information is available at www.nowpap.org

NOWPAP's news

• New activities set for NOWPAP Regional Activity Centres
• NOWPAP links with partners are strengthened
• NOWPAP members joined hands in flighting theoil spill in Korea
• TEMM-9 held in Toyama, Japan
• NOWPAP Marine Litter Activity is moving into next phase
• 12th NOWPAP IGM held in Xiamen

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