Sihanoukville, Cambodia — The Municipality of Sihanoukville in Cambodia is poised to host the 2008 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG) Forum on 19-21 November at the Sokha Beach Hotel. The Forum will discuss critical issues on "Water Resource Protection, Utilization and Management" and will convene more than 80 local executives and technical staff from nine PEMSEA participating countries.

Quezon City, Philippines — Port authorities and operators face a number of challenges with respect to their role and impact in ICM programs and sustainable development of coastal areas - from the safest way to rig gangway nets, to the handling of hazardous substances and management of machinery and noise. The Port Safety, Health and Environmental Management System (PSHEMS) Code gives port authorities a defined structure within which to manage safety and the environment, and proof that they are doing it correctly.

Quezon City, Philippines — To cope with the increasing demand for economic space brought on by development and migration to coastal cities, countries in the East Asian Seas region have engaged in coastal reclamation projects and foreshore developments. While a number of developments have been undertaken in the region, their impacts particularly on the coastal and marine resources and environment have not been given much attention.

Vladivostok, Russian Federation — As part of activities under the Northwest Pacific Plan's Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP MALI), the 2008 NOWPAP International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) and Training Workshop was held in Vladivostok, Russian Federation on 26-28 September.

Qingdao, PR China — The 2nd Joint NOWAP Oil Spill Exercise was conduced on 2 September 2008 in Qingdao, PR China. This exercise was jointly organized by China Maritime Safety Administration and the Korea Coast Guard as one of the activities under the NOWPAP programme of work for 2008. The purpose of having this joint activity was to check the coordination between Chinese and Korean authorities in dealing with oil spill emergency preparedness and response.

Hanoi, Viet Nam — PEMSEA launched a 25-chapter book, which is a compendium of essays written by 25 authors, during the 4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands held in Hanoi, Viet Nam, from 7-11 April. Securing the Oceans: Essays on Ocean Governance – Global and Regional Perspectives was published a decade after the Year of the Ocean in 1998.

Guimaras Province, Philippines — The island-province of Guimaras has become the first in the Philippines to embark on an island-wide Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) program. Guimaras has obtained the support of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) & the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), a regional program implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).

 

Quezon City, Philippines — Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and Xavier University (Xavier) - Ateneo de Cagayan together forged an agreement that aims to broaden and increase the number of local practitioners of integrated coastal management (ICM). The partnership establishes Xavier University as a PEMSEA ICM Learning Center for Mindanao. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between PEMSEA and Xavier on capacity building for integrated coastal management was signed on 29 September by Xavier President Fr. Jose Ramon. T.

Toyama, Japan — The 6th Focal Points Meeting of CEARAC (Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Center) of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) was held in Toyama, Japan on on 6-8 March. In conjunction with the Focal Points Meeting (FPM), the First Coastal Environmental Assessment Workshop was organized on 7 March.During the FPM, future CEARAC activities in the 2008-2009 biennium were discussed.

Bataan, Philippines — The Bataan Coastal Care Foundation has published the Coastal Land- and Sea-use Zoning Plan (CLSUZP). The publication, released last 12 February, will help in resolving resource-use conflicts in the province.