The Fourth Forum of the Regional Network of Local Governments (RNLG) implementing Integrated Coastal Management or ICM was organized by the GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme for Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), jointly with the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, and hosted by the Bali Provincial Government of Indonesia. The RNLG Forum was held at the INNA Grand Bali Beach Hotel in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, on 26 – 28 April 2005. The Forum was designed on the theme of “Building Better Coastal Governance through Stronger Local Alliance”, aiming at consolidating lessons learned from ICM implementation, formulating strategies for sustaining ICM practices, and transforming the existing regional network of local governments into a self-sustaining, local government-driven one. Special focus was also given to the issue of coastal hazard management. Strategies for enhancing local capacity and institutional framework as well as raising public awareness for effectively addressing coastal hazards were identified within the context of ICM. Ninety-five participants from ten countries of the East Asian Seas region as well as two countries outside of the Region and UNEP/GPA, attended the Forum.

The Meeting, held from 16-18 May 2005 in Metro Manila, Philippines, was convened to formulate the PEMSEA Partnership Agreement and the Partnership Operating Arrangements on the transformation of PEMSEA into a self-sustaining regional implementing mechanism for the SDS-SEA.

The 4th Subregional Meeting of the Gulf of Thailand Project Task Team was held at the Montien Riverside Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, from 2 to 4 February 2005. The Marine Department, Ministry of Transportation, Royal Government of Thailand hosted the Meeting. The PEMSEA Gulf of Thailand (GOT) project aims to build capacity in combating sea-based sources of marine pollution, particularly in promoting the partnership among the countries of the subregion in oil spill preparedness and response. Building on the progress made since the 3rd Subregional Project Task Team (PTT) Meeting in July 2004, this Meeting was expected to provide guidance to further strengthen project implementation, with special focus on the development of a multilateral cooperative framework in oil spill preparedness and response in the subregion. The Meeting was attended by delegates from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, observers from East Asia Response Pte Ltd (EARL), ECOTHAI Consultants Co. Ltd (ECOTHAI) and Oil Industry Environment Safety Group (IESG), and PEMSEA RPO staff.

On 12 December 2003, the Seas of East Asia region adopted a common framework for the environmental management and protection of its shared seas. The historic event was capped by ceremonial signing of the Ministerial Declaration on Regional Cooperation on the Sustainable Development of the Seas of East Asia by the honorable ministers and officials from PEMSEA countries—Brunei, Cambodia, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—before a gathering of distinguished guests from various governments, research institutions and international organizations. The Declaration embodies the commitment of the countries to adhere to and implement the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), which formally brings together national and stakeholder efforts under a collaborative platform for partnerships to implement commitments made under international agreements pertaining to coasts and oceans, including the recommendations from the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD), Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Agenda 21. This paper revisits the approaches and processes undertaken to generate the regional consensus needed to develop the SDS-SEA. Working on existing information documents, it chronicles the outcomes of several consultations conducted, particularly during the 1st Senior Government Officials’ Meeting and the 9th Programme Steering Committee in Pattaya, Thailand, the final national review by PEMSEA countries and the feedback from various stakeholders on the SDS-SEA.

Following a Preparatory Meeting for the Working Group on the Implementation of the SDS-SEA that was held on 29 March–1 April 2004, in Chengdu, China, a Working Group meeting was organized by the PEMSEA Regional Programme Office (RPO) and hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in Manila, Philippines, from 23 to 26 August 2004. Participants at the meeting included representatives from 10 participating countries, along with two resource persons and representatives from UNDP, World Bank and the Secretariat. This report contains the proceedings of the Meeting, which includes discussion on SDS-SEA implementation such as targets, approaches, modalities and funding implications, taking into account the specific national and local conditions.

The Senior Government Officials' Meeting (SGOM) on the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia was held at the Dusit Resort, Pattaya, Thailand, from 4 to 5 August 2003. It was organized by the Regional Programme Office (RPO) in collaboration with the Marine Department, the Royal Government of Thailand. The Meeting was held to finalize the draft third revision of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) and the draft Declaration of Regional Cooperation on the Sustainable Development for the Seas of East Asia, for their endorsement by the countries and adoption by the Ministerial Forum to be held on 12 December 2003. Represented at the SGOM were the twelve PEMSEA participating countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, People's Republic of China, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as the executing agency of PEMSEA, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and its Regional Programme Office (RPO).

This publication presents the summary of the proceedings of the workshop and the key technical/scientific papers presented during the two-day event. It discusses the concept and approaches, methodologies, application and case studies, research needs and priorities in environmental carrying capacity or effective/permissible carrying capacity in tourism (ECC) research. The recommendations focus on the roles of the policymakers, scientists, and research managers and provide useful insights and future opportunities in advancing ECC research and application. It is hoped that through this effort, better cooperation in terms of sharing knowledge and research outputs among the countries in the East Asian region and with other parts of the world would be promoted.