PEMSEA Releases Tropical Coasts Issue

 

Quezon City, Philippines — PEMSEA released a new issue of Tropical Coasts that expounds on the challenges and good practices in Ocean and Coastal Governance; Habitat Protection, Restoration and Management; and Food Security and Livelihood Management.

 

The new issue features the discussions held during the International Conference on Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Development during the East Asian Seas Congress in Manila, Philippines, on 23-27 November 2009.

 

The Treasuring Our Heritage, Banking in Our Future article explores the concept of biodiversity, its role in promoting environments to flourish, economies to develop, and humanity to prosper, and how it faces degradation from human activities. Focus is directed on how marine habitats and ecosystems are facing the increasing threat of destruction. The unique ecological challenges faced by several key biodiversity hotspots are expounded in an article on innovative and indigenous approaches taken by local communities to address biodiversity issues.

 

Food Security and Livelihood Management underscores the importance of marine environments in providing a healthy food supply, livelihood and economic prosperity. The article explores possible avenues for addressing food security and sustainable aquaculture. The article identifies the role of marine environments in providing livelihood, both through fisheries and coastal tourism, and how local government-, community-, and private sector- led efforts are the forefront in promoting sustainable coastal tourism and conservation.

 

Reporting on the progress made in integrated coastal and ocean management at the national level, the article on Pursuing Sustainable Development through National Coastal and Ocean Governance enumerates the legal instruments and programs adopted by various countries towards this end, and narrates each country's experiences in coastal and ocean governance. The article Addressing Transboundary Issues through Regional/Subregional Seas Cooperation: Initiatives in East Asia describes the various initiatives of different organizations to reduce threats to coastal and marine ecosystem services in regional and subregional sea areas.

 

Various approaches to coastal governance are explored in Innovative Techniques Towards Reaching Sustainable Development Goals. These initiatives have made progress on multiple fronts: programs have been established, stakeholders engaged, thousands of people trained, collaborations advanced, policies adopted, lessons learned and integrated, and experiences shared. The challenges now at the forefront of coastal and ocean management demand new information and capabilities, and the techniques enumerated in this article hopefully can spark new and innovative solutions.

 

To learn more about these topics, download the latest issue of Tropical Coasts magazine.

 

Tropical Coasts is a bi-annual publication of PEMSEA, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). This issue was supported by the United Nations Environment Programme - Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (UNEP-GPA) and the Swedish International Environmental Secretariat for Asia (SENSA). It is geared towards stimulating an exchange of information and sharing of experiences and ideas with respect to environmental protection and the management of coastal and marine areas. Past issues can be downloaded at http://localhost/dr_pemsea_prod.

 

The third triennial EAS Congress, hosted by the Government of the Philippines and co-organized by the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources, attracted 1,480 participants, 100 exhibitors, 51 co-conveners and supporting organizations, and numerous sponsors. The next EAS Congress will be held in the Republic of Korea from 9-13 July 2012.