NOWPAP
+ Regional Activity Centre
China,
Japan, Russia and Korea (the Republic of Korea and the Peoples
Republic of Korea) share a common sea. This shared resource
also requires co-operative management. UNEP through its Regional
Seas programme is assisting the four nations in developing pollution
control and disaster response in the shared ocean environment.
Action
plan : The Action
Plan for the North-West Pacific (NOWPAP) was adopted by
the countries in 1994. The goal of NOWPAP is the wise use,
development and management of the coastal and marine environment
so as to obtain the utmost long-term benefits for the human
populations of the region, while protecting human health,
ecological integrity and the region's sustainability for future
generations.
Priority
projects : Five priority projects have been adopted —
on information management, survey of national environmental
legislation and policies, a regional pollution monitoring
programme, cooperation in marine pollution emergency preparedness
and response. Oil has been identified as one
of five priority issue for the region.
Regional
coordinating unit: NOWPAP's Regional Coordinating Unit
(RCU), co-hosted by Japan and the Republic of Korea, serves
as "nerve centre and command post" of NOWPAP activities.
Four
regional activity centres: A network of regional activity
centres (RACs) is being developed to coordinate activities
relevant to specific components of NOWPAP.
- The
Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response
Regional Activity Centre (MERRAC)
has been established within the Korea Research Institute
of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO)/ Korea Ocean Research
and Development Institute (KORDI) in Taejon, Republic of
Korea. •• MERRAC, with support from UNEP and IMO,
coordinates the development of effective measures for regional
cooperation in marine pollution preparedness and response.
•• IMO, as being the secretariat for the International
Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation Convention,
in co-operation with UNEP, is assisting the MERRAC and NOWPAP
member states in the development of a NOWPAP Regional Oil
Spill Contingency Plan.
- The
Northwest
Pacific Region Environment Centre (NPEC)
has been designated as the NOWPAP Special Monitoring
and Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Center
(CEA/RAC).
- A
Data and Information Network Monitoring Regional Activity
Center (DIN/RAC)
is hosted by China.
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UNEP
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Working
closely with the Division of Regional Co-operation and Representation
in UNEP's Nairobi-based headquarters, the UNEP
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) looks
to adopt global environmental policy to regional priorities
and needs. It acts as a catalyst, co-ordinator, facilitater
and mobilizer of resources. It puts particular emphasis on building
partnerships with regional and sub-regional intergovernmental
fora, other UN agencies, national governments, NGOs, the private
sector, academic and research institutions, and civil society,
and the media. |
UNEP
Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific
In
Asia and the Pacific Region, UNEP's Division of Early Warning
and Assessment (DEWA) is implemented through the facility of
UNEP Regional
Resource Centre for Asia and Pacific (RRC.AP) situated within
the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand.
UNEP RRC.AP was initially established in 1989 as a GRID facility,
which was later expanded, to encompass DEWA activities. There
are three components in the programme: (i) Capacity Building
and Servicing, (ii) Data Management, and (iii) Assessment and
Reporting. Assessment reports and Early Warning Systems are
being developed through these three components. At present,
RRC.AP is focusing on four early warning issues based on the
recommendation of the Advisory Committee: GLOF, Water, Land
Cover and Air. Activities have been carried out under the direct
supervision of the DEWA, in close coordination with UNEP's Regional
Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP). |
UN
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The
UN Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) organizes
seminars and workshops on various issues relating to water resources,
including: Water resources assessment; Integrated water resources
development and management; Protection of water resources, water
quality and aquatic ecosystems; River basin development and
management; Promotion of infrastructure development and investment
for drinking water supply and sanitation; Water pricing and
promotion of private investment in the water sector; Water demand
management, water saving and economic use of water; and Mitigation
of water-related natural disasters, particularly flood loss
reduction. |
Northwest
Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center
The
Northwest
Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center (NPEC) has
been designated as the Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental
Assessment Center for NOWPAP. Among research and studies relevant
to environmental protection (1) a Survey of Submerged and Floating
Matter on Beaches is listed with the objective to create an
awareness for environmental protection among residents of the
Northwest Pacific Region. Together with Russian self-governing
bodies and NGO groups of the coastal region, NPEC will continuously
investigate the current conditions of sea pollution, including
submerged and floating matter on the coasts of the Sea of Japan.
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North
Pacific Marine Science Organization
The
North Pacific
Marine Science Organization (PICES) is an intergovernmental
scientific organization. It was established in 1992 and its
present members are Canada, People's Republic of China, Japan,
Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, and the United States
of America. The purposes of PICES are to promote and coordinate
marine research in the northern North Pacific and adjacent seas
especially northward of 30 degrees North; to advance scientific
knowledge about the ocean environment, global weather and climate
change, living resources and their ecosystems, and the impacts
of human activities; and to promote the collection and rapid
exchange of scientific information on these issues. |
GEF
International Waters Project
Reducing
Environmental Stress in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecoystem.
The Yellow Sea is one of the most intensely exploited areas
in the world. This Sea is a semi-enclosed basin, shallow but
rich in resources, and its waters are a highway for international
shipping. Large cities, among them Shanghai, Dalian, Tianjin
and Seoul, depend on the Yellow Sea as a source of marine resources
for human nutrition, economic development, recreation and tourism.
The analysis conducted indicated the following major transboundary
environmental problems: (i) Decline/collapse of transboundary
fish stocks; (ii) degradation of Biodiversity and of critical
habitats; (iii) water quality deterioration; (iv) unsanitary
conditions due to dispersion of pathogens and contaminants threatening
human health and mariculture. The objective of the proposed
project is to promote multi-country ecosystem based management
practices with the aim of reducing stresses to the environment
due to population and industrialization pressures. The project
will enhance consultations among littoral countries building
on existing partial agreements (APEC etc.) and operationalizing
elements of UNEP's Regional Seas Programme (NOWPAP). The project
will complement activities of the East Asian Seas GEF project.
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Agreements