This publication summarizes the results of one of the workshops held during the East Asian Seas Congress 2009 on the Development and Advances on Marine Biosafety in the Context of the Convention on Biodiversity. The workshop on Development and Advances on Marine Biosafety in the Context of the Convention on Biodiversity reviewed current global and national actions to address the challenges associated with marine biosafety. Specifically, the workshop highlighted the adverse environmental impacts on marine biodiversity, public health and certain marine economic sectors, among others, as well as the potential transboundary and long-term impacts. International efforts to address the translocation of invasive species as well as to mitigate the environmental impacts through the promulgation of environmental instruments, adoption and application of standards, research, technology and the promotion of public awareness and capacity building were discussed.

This publication summarizes the results of one of the workshops held during the East Asian Seas Congress 2009 on Coastal/Ocean Policy and Legislation: Implementation and New Initiatives. This workshop highlights the importance of coasts and oceans and discusses the various initiatives and efforts at central and local level in developing and implementing ocean and coastal policies and legislation. The three sessions provided lessons from the practical implementation related to coastal and ocean governance.

This publication summarizes the results of one of the workshops held during the East Asian Seas Congress 2009 on Local Action, Global Contribution: Best Practices in Community-based Approaches to Sustainable Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management. Best practices in community-based approaches to sustainable coastal and marine ecosystems management are emerging. Case studies from East Asia are highlighted in this report showcasing how the local communities in the region have been a rich source of creative and productive experiences in managing coastal and marine ecosystems. The case models have been chosen from a number of projects implemented by community-based organizations, people's organizations and other community constituents within the SGP Country Programmes in the East Asian Seas region. While these initiatives were directed to contribute to global environmental benefits, they help, more importantly, in uplifting the communities' economic and social wellbeing.

The special session on disaster management tackled two main topics, the Science and Technology for Marine Disaster Prevention and Management and Good Governance on Disaster Management.

The special session was chaired by Dr. Shigeko Haruyama from the International Geographical Union (IGU) and Dr. Cherdsak Virapat, Executive Director of the International Ocean Institute (IOI).

The specific objectives of the special session were to:

Take stock of available resources that can be optimized to create a more effective disaster management framework with due consideration to the unique settings of each locality/country.
Assess the effectiveness and determine the value of applying science and technology as a tool for disaster management.
Share information on the new ways of collaborating among various sectors of the society.

The Twinning Workshop on Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was held at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila Hotel, Philippines, from 18 to 21 May 2009. The workshop was co-organized by PEMSEA and the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI)/PEMSEA Twinning Secretariat, supported by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) of Republic of Korea, and hosted by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines. The Workshop was attended by participants from Indonesia, People’s Republic of China, and the Philippines. Resource persons for the workshop were from RO Korea and the United States. Representatives from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were also invited as observers. The workshop aimed to: 1) share good practices and challenges on Integrated River Basin and Coastal Area Management (IRBCAM); and 2) develop TMDL capacity among IRBCAM sites as a means of strengthening pollution reduction planning and implementation.

“Water Resources Protection, Utilization and Management”

Sihanoukville, Cambodia, 19-21 November 2008

A. INTRODUCTION

1.1. The 2008 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) forum was held at Sokha Hotel, Sihanoukville, Cambodia, from 19-21 November 2008. It was the seventh of a series of forum conducted since the network was launched in 2001 in RO Korea. The 2008 PNLG Forum was hosted by the Municipal Government of Sihanoukville and focused on the theme “Water Resources Protection, Utilization and Management”.

1.2. The forum aimed to a) share good practices and lessons learned in water resources protection, utilization and management; b) discuss strategies on strengthening water governance and capacity, and b) identify strategies for sustaining the network and expanding its role to support local ICM implementation and scaling up.

1.3. The forum was jointly organized by the Municipal Government of Sihanoukville, PEMSEA and the PNLG Secretariat. Eight local business enterprises provided in-kind contribution for the organization of the forum.

1.4. Twenty two local governments from 9 countries across the region participated in the forum in addition to regional experts/resource speakers from the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Southeast Asia Secretariat, Phnom Penh Water Suppy Authority (PPWSA), Macao Water Supply Co., Ltd., Marine Environmental Research and Innovative Technology (MERIT) of the City University of Hong Kong, Coastal and Ocean Management Instiute (COMI) of Xiamen University and Oil Spill Response and East Asia Response Ltd. (OSRL EARL).

1.5. Representatives from international and national agencies in Cambodia as well as from the academe also participated in the forum.

1.6. The forum was divided into 3 major parts: the opening ceremony, the general assembly meeting and the technical workshop. The forum was concluded by a field trip to key areas in Sihanoukville.

1.7. The meeting agenda and full list of participants is attached as Annex 1 and 2.

The National Workshop for Local Governments Implementing ICM in China aimed to provide a venue for the ICM parallel sites in China: (a) to share their progress, plans and needs for ICM program development and implementation and environmental investments; and (b) to learn about the experiences, tools and approaches for capacity development, institutional arrangements, monitoring and environmental investments of other partners. The workshop was held at the Xiamen Golden Sands Gulf Hotel, Xiamen, PR China, from 10-11 November 2008. The workshop was co-organized by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) of China, the Municipal Government of Xiamen and PEMSEA.