Ocean Science, Policy, And Practice

ST 1.6 Regional Governance for Integrated Coastal Management (How PEMSEA network can be enforced? – A multi-layered ocean governance methodologies)

Convener

Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation – OPRI-SPF; China Institute for Marine Affairs – CIMA; COAST CARD Japan

 

Venue

TBC

 

Overview

The Sea of East Asia from north to south is comprised of the Japan Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, all of which are semi-enclosed. On land, in the East Asia region, there is a solid variety of political, economic, and social systems. It is harnessed by some of the most heavily populated cities and countries in the world. From the perspective of the ocean, the region is characterized by not only its unique marine and coastal settings, such as large marine ecosystems, island chains, vast gulfs, and crowded straits, but also commercially important fishing and mariculture grounds and rich offshore mineral resources such as gas and oil. However, the rapid economic development and massive population growth in the region have inevitably resulted in enormous pressures on the marine environment and its resources. 

 

Various issues of ocean governance should be considered to enforce the resilience of the Seas of East Asia, including the development speed and phase of institutional frameworks, the suitable and executable assessment tool and implementation regimes in the fields. Especially, multi-layered ocean governance of regional-national-local methodologies should be implemented.

 

In this session, we will first present an overview of regional governance models around the world and scale down to national case studies on coastal management from Japan and China. Second, we will consider the coastal governance methodology from the view of local community engagement from bottom-up perspectives of the governance. It will give a shared future and the role of voluntary participation to the stakeholders. Finally, a panel discussion will be held to discuss how we can draw holistic and inclusive ocean governance in the Seas of East Asia with a shared future and the role of voluntary participation of the stakeholders. A multi-layered ocean governance will be introduced as a methodology to fill the gap of top-down and bottom-up governance.

 

Program

Time AGENDA
14:00-14:02 Moderator

  • Dr. Xiang Gao, Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation
14:02-14:06 Opening Remarks

  • Dr. Haiwen Zhang, Former Director General, China Institute for Marine Affairs 
14:06-14:21 Regional sea governance and the role of epistemic co

  • Dr. Xiang Gao
14:21-14:36 Practices of the national ocean governance on the coastal management in China

  • TBD (speaker from CIMA)
14:36-14:51 National ocean governance and practices of the Tokyo Bay management

  • Dr. Keita Furukawa
14:51-15:06 Practices of the coastal management in Xiamen

  • TBD (speaker from Xiamen University)
15:06-15:46 Pannel Discussion: (40m)

  • Above mentioned speakers; one more panelist [TBD]; panelist from PEMSEA Resource Facility]
15:46-15:56 Q&A, discussion with floor
15:56-16:01 Closing remarks: (5m)

  • Dr. Hide Sakaguchi, President, Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (Japan)
26 August, 2024

Session ST 1.8: PEMSEA: Biofouling

Convenors

PEMSEA Resource Facility 

Venue

TBC

Overview

Details to follow

Program

Programme to follow

26 August, 2024

Session ST 1.1: From Ratification to Implementation: ASIA DIALOGUE ON THE Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) AGREEMENT

Convenors

High Seas Alliance

Venue

TBC

Overview

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement is the first comprehensive treaty on the high seas. It covers marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits; measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas; environmental impact assessments; capacity building and the transfer of marine technology.  It also establishes a framework of institutional arrangements, including a Conference of Parties, Scientific and Technical Body, Clearing House Mechanism, Financial Resources and Mechanism, Implementation and Compliance Committee.  

In the East Asian Seas region, there are eight (8) countries who already signed the Agreement (China, Indonesia, LAO PDR, Philippines, RO Korea, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam), while the first ratification in Asia still awaits. Under the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East, the thrusts of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) align with the principles of the Agreement in promoting ocean governance to ensure the sustainable development of the coastal and marine resources in the region. As nations set their national targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Agreement is essential to ensuring the achievement of the 30×30 ocean targets.

This two-part side event aims to engage different levels of stakeholders in a dialogue about the Agreement focusing on the perspective of Asian countries. 

Part one (1) is a high-level side event to engage ministers, senior government officials, and the heads of delegation in a 1-hour high-level dialogue that aims to sustain the momentum of support from the national government leaders to sign and ratify the High Seas Treaty. The dialogue aims to revisit the commitments of the countries and explore opportunities to assist the countries in the ratification and preparation for the implementation. 

Part two (2) is a knowledge-sharing session that targets key sectors, institutions, and leaders engaged in marine conservation in the East Asian Seas region to gather more public support on the ratification of the BBNJ Agreement by 2025. 

Expected Output/s:

  • Raise awareness and understanding on the salient points and key principles of the BBNJ Agreement and its link to achieving the new ocean targets under the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework; and
  • Increase appreciation of the need to swiftly ratify the Treaty, which can lead to growing participation of key sectors/organization supporting governments of Asian countries in the #RaceForRatification and preparation for the implementation.

Program

Part 1 High Level Session

Time AGENDA
10:00-10:05 Opening and Preliminaries (HSA)
10:05-10:15 Keynote Speech

  • UN Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson (TBC) / Amb. Rena Lee (TBC)
10:15-10:25 Key Principles of BBNJ (HSA or HSA member/UNDOALOS)
10:25-10:50 Commitment-setting/statement from each country (voluntary)

Signing of Octavia the Treaty Champions Declaration
10:50-10:55 Closing statement (PEMSEA)
10:55-11:00 Photo Op/End of dialogue

 

26 August, 2024

Session ST 1.5: Area-based marine ecosystem management to cope with Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Convenors

The Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM)

Venue

TBC

Overview

At the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which includes a provision to designate 30% of the Earth’s surface as protected areas, was adopted. Additionally, under the Climate Change Convention, the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue also evaluates and recommends nature-based solutions in the ocean as beneficial activities for both climate change mitigation and adaptation.

In line with these demands and trends in the international community, it is expected that the demand for localized conservation and protection efforts in marine ecosystem management will further expand.

KOEM recognizes the necessity of information exchange among neighboring countries for the progressive formulation of regional-based ecosystem management policies, supporting and executing policies for monitoring, protecting, and sustainably utilizing marine ecosystems in Korea.

Expected Output/s:

  • Share the current status of national-level marine ecosystem management policies within the East Asian region and efforts toward international treaty compliance.
  • Discuss considerations and cooperation measures for the progressive formulation of future national policies.

Program

Time AGENDA
10:00-10:02 Opening

  • Moderator: KOEM International Affairs Department
10:02-10:05 Opening Address

  • KOEM CEO
Session 1. Presentation session – Objective: Sharing efforts for implementing GBF within the East Asian regional seas
10:05-10:20 (Korea) Legal framework, institutional implementation status, and achievements for GBF implementation

  • KOEM Young-Nam Kim
10:20-10:35 (China) Legal framework, institutional implementation status, and achievements for GBF implementation

  • TBD
10:35-10:50 (Philippines) Legal framework, institutional implementation status, and achievements for GBF implementation

  • TBD
10:50-11:05 (EAS Country) Legal framework, institutional implementation status, and achievements for GBF implementation

  • TBD
Session 2. Discussion session – Objective: Exploring development strategies for area-based ecosystem management policies
11:05-11:25 Theme: Considerations for formulating Area-based marine ecosystem management policies (Lessons Learned) 

– Proposals and discussions on intergovernmental cooperation activities (joint research, collaborative project development, etc.)

  • Chairperson: Suk-Jae, Kwon(PEMSEA Technical Session Co-Chair)
  • Discussants: presenters
11:25-11:35 Closing

  • Chairperson/moderator
26 August, 2024

Session ST 1.2: Sharing Experiences and Best Practice in Sustainable Management of MPAs Workshop

Convenors

China PEMSEA Sustainable Coastal Management Cooperation Center – CPC

Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)

First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (FIO)

Partners

Third Institute of Oceanography, MNR (TIO)

Qingdao Ocean Decade Cooperation Center (ODCC)

Beijing Office of Natural Resources Defense Council (NDRC)

Beijing Office of WildAid

Beijing Office of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Beijing Entrepreneurs Environment Protection Foundation (SEE FOUNDATION)

Venue

TBC

Overview

Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as the common vision for global biodiversity conservation, is a major and important achievement for international cooperation on the biodiversity conservation. The TARGET 3 of the Framework indicates that at least 30 percent of marine and coastal areas are effectively conserved and managed through protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures by 2030.

Marine protected areas (MAs) are a crucial and effective measure to protect marine ecosystem, provide ecosystem services and goods, mitigate climate change, conserve marine biodiversity, and support blue economy in coast and ocean. While Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) are one of the important area-based management tools for marine on-site conservation. In recent years, OECMs have gradually gained international attention and are considered as new powerful tools that can significantly increase the protected areas both in land and oceans.

Such efforts align closely with the goals outlined in the regional framework of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) 2023-2027, aiming to enhance the biodiversity conservation and management by developing National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans (NBSAPs) that incorporate post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework targets for ocean, coastal, and marine management.

This Experience and Practice Sharing Workshop for Sustainable Management of MPAs aims to promote MA’s management effectiveness, understand international commitments for marine biodiversity conservation, and exchange the excellent management practice of MPAs and OECMs. The workshop will discuss the international best practice and tools for MA management, share experiences among regional MPAs, identify marine conservation gaps and hotspots, foster networking of MAs in the EAS region, and explore potential pathway to realize the 3030 Target in the EAS region.

Expected Output/s:

  • By promoting the exchange of MA management information, expertise, and experiences, this workshop is expected to facilitate the understanding of MA management despite differences in types and sizes; identify potential cooperative actions for regional cooperation among MPAs and OECMs; and enhance the managing capacity and effectiveness of OECM through the release of three important outputs.

Program

7 November 10:00 – 12:00, Best Practice & Tools for MPA Management  
10:00 – 10:10 Opening remarks from MNR and PEMSEA Chaired by XXX Invited by
  Evaluating MPA Networks: Lesson from California USA

(Mr. Mark Carr, Professor, University of California)

   NRDC
  How to Support Community-Led Enforcement of MPAs: Success Stories from WildAid’s Global Programs

(Mr. Gregg Casad, Senior Compliance Advisor of WildAid)

   WildAid
  Marine Biodiversity Conservation and MPAs

(Neil Cox, Manager of the IUCN-Conservation International Biodiversity Assessment Unit)

   SEE
  New outputs releasing on《Range Manual for MPA》 (10-15min)

(Ms. Chong YU, Chief representative of WildAid Beijing Office)

   WildAid
  Panel Discussion: FIO/SIO/TIO, Philippines, Korea (Chair+3, 10min/speaker)

 

  • Ms. Jing WANG, Chief of Marine Conservation SEE FOUNDATION
    

 

7 November 14:00 – 17:30, MPA & OECM for 3030 Target in EAS region Chaired by XXX Invited by
       
  OECM related presentation   NRDC
     
  New outputs releasing 《Study on Marine OECMs Identification in China》    
  Panel Discussion on OECMs: (Chair+4 , 10min/speaker) FIO/SIO/TIO, Japan, Cambodia, others

  • Yinfeng GUO，National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service (NMHMS), MNR
    
15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break    
  Prospectives on North-East Asia MPA Networks

(Ms. Mi-Jin Lee, East and North-East Asia office of UN-ESCAP)

   FIO
       
       
  New outputs releasing 《Conservation Initiative of Spotted Seals》

(Mr. Zhuang Hongfei, First Institute of Oceanography MNR China)

   FIO
  Panel Discussion on 3030 for EAS Panel Discussion (Chair+4 , 10min/speaker) FIO/SIO/TIO, Japan, Cambodia, others

  • Patrick YEUNG，

Akbar，Partner of SEE Indonesia, Local Community

 

    
26 August, 2024

FOCUS : OCEAN SCIENCE, POLICY, AND PRACTICE

Convenors

 

Venue

 

Background

What does effective ocean governance look like in an era of complex environmental challenges? Join
leading experts as they unravel the intricate web connecting ocean science, policy formulation, and realworld practices. Through a dynamic panel discussion, explore how we can bridge the gap between research,
decision-making, and implementation to create more resilient marine ecosystems.

Program

Moderator: TBC

PANEL DISCUSSION

  • H.E. Eang Sophalleth, Minister, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia (tbc)
  • Dr. Atsushi Sunami, President Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan/Hide Sakaguchi , President, Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan (tbc)
  • Dr. Augusto Lourdes da Silva, Adviser to the Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry (tbc)
  • Dr. Luki Adrianto, Director of International Research Institute on Maritime, Marine and Fisheries, IPB University
  • Dr. Sheila Vergara, Regional Project Manager, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity 

 

26 August, 2024

Session ST 1.3: Introduce the Blue Nature Alliance and encourage the member states to consider partnership and engagement beyond initial MPA commitments

Convenors

Blue Nature Alliance

Venue

TBC

Overview

The call for conserving 30% of land and seas by 2030 has created momentum in establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in recent years. However, as the international community begins their implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF) and achievement of this global target, ensuring this acceleration leads to durable, effective, equitably managed, and ecologically representative systems of conservation areas, will be challenging. 

Blue Nature Alliance is a global partnership established to catalyze the conservation of 18 million square kilometers or 5% of the ocean by 2027 in contribution to conserving 30% of the ocean by 2030. The Alliance collaborates with governments and local partners in designing and implementing strategic interventions needed to achieve measurable outcomes for the creation of new large-scale ocean conservation areas, and the expansion, improved management, or upgraded protections of existing areas.

The session is in-line with one of the expected outcomes of the EAS Congress to produce “renewed momentum and mobilization of partnerships and resources to fulfill the collectively endorsed Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) Framework’s vision,” particularly its Healthy Ocean component. It prioritizes biodiversity conservation by increasing areal coverage of MPAs to enhance productivity and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources.

This event is intended to encourage all Parties to consider the need for partnership and engagement beyond initial commitments towards implementation and impact. This event will include an interactive and engaging panel featuring government and implementing partners of the Blue Nature Alliance to build momentum for ambitious commitments toward global ocean conservation. Panelists will share personal experiences, lessons learned, and innovations in ocean conservation and offer encouragement and partnership to participants as they consider how to advance their country’s conservation journey to achieve the global targets of the KM GBF.

Expected Output/s:

  • Establish stronger awareness of the Blue Nature Alliance amongst the member states and other participants. 
  • Increase collaborations with member states in the pipeline (i.e. Japan, South Korea, Vietnam) through side events and bilateral meetings.
  • Strengthen relationship with existing government and implementing partners. 

Potential Speakers:

  • Blue Nature Alliance
  • Big Ocean
  • Government partners in Asia (active projects by November)
  • Pacific partners
  • Implementing partners in Asia

Program

Provisional Programme to follow

26 August, 2024

ST 1.4: A critical impact analysis of three decades of coastal land reclamation in East Asia

Conveners

Plymouth Marine Laboratory – PML

Florida International University

 

Venue

TBC

Background

In this engagement workshop, we critically reflect on the impact of large-scale coastal land reclamation in East Asia, building on the discussions and findings from the Session “A critical review of 25 years of land reclamation in East Asia” held at the 2018 EAS Congress Partnership Hub, co-organized by Florida International University, Xiamen University, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, and UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Phase II Project.

 

The proposed workshop sets the stage to evaluate the impact of three decades of land reclamation in the region, bringing together scientists and experts working towards understanding the socio-environmental consequences of land reclamation in nations of the East Asian Sea.  Various drivers lead to land reclamation, including economic, social, and political progress, and new land provision is often seen to benefit a country’s development potential. It has however also been widely reported that land reclamation can bring irreversibly detrimental impacts such as to the livelihoods of local fishing communities, globally migrating shorebird populations and a range of impacts on the marine environment, including causing loss or damage of coastal habitats and changes to the physical nature of the seabed. 

 

Coastal land reclamation has been widely implemented in many East Asian countries, especially over the three past decades with technological advances enabling faster, larger-scale reclamation often transforming the marine environment to an unprecedented degree. Experts on the impacts of large-scale coastal land reclamation in East Asia will share their latest findings and pose key challenges through presentations and engagement workshop respectively.  The proposed experts include those working towards understanding the environmental consequences of land reclamation in the developing nations of the East Asian Sea as well as those covering various aspects related to the impact of land reclamation from political economy and legal and institutional developments to sociocultural and ecological/environmental impacts. 

 

The session aims to cover the entire East Asian seas, trace the trajectories of major reclamation projects in the region, and attend to the major challenges in evaluating impact of reclamation. 

 

This session will conclude with a comprehensive summary and list of priority areas concerning understanding the state of East Asia’s land reclamation with recommendations going forward.

Program

14.00-14.05  Welcome and brief session intro (5 minutes)

Moderator: Dhritiraj Sengupta, Physical Geographer and Earth Observation Scientist , Plymouth Marine Laboratory

 

14.05 – 14.41 Setting the stage presentations 

Shifting rationales for coastal reclamation: From A Need to a Prestige (online presentation)

Young Rae Choi, Assistant Professor, Global and Sociocultural Studies Florida International University –  

 

Mr. Ranjeet Singh (TBC), PEMSEA National Focal Point and Deputy Director of the International Policy Division at the Ministry of Sustainability, Singapore and permanent Representative of Singapore to UNEP.

 

The transformation of 40-year coastal wetland policies in China: network analysis and text analysis

Qinhua Fang, Professor of Coastal Management Science, Xiamen University – 

 

Role of  Earth Observation and big data science in analyzing environmental impact of land reclamation

Abhishek Banerjee, Post-doctoral Fellow, Chinese Academy of Sciences

 

14.41 – 15.23 Engagement workshop with experts

Facilitator: Dr. Dhritiraj Sengupta

35 min + 6 min 

Each expert will provide a brief 5 min intro and then followed by a challenge. 

Information regarding this session and the suggested challenges is proposed to be shared with all participants in advance

  1. Su Yin Chee (remote), Coastal and Marine Scientist and Senior Lecturer, Centre for Global Sustainability Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia
  2. Didit Eko Prasetyo, Deputy Director for controlling of Marine Spatial Planning, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia 
  3. Dr. Qinhua Fang, Professor of Environmental Management Science, Xiamen University 
  4. Dhritiraj Sengupta, Earth Observation Scientist, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK
  5. TBC
  6. Moon Suk Lee, Senior Research Scientist, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST)

The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is proposed to be used to prioritize future initiatives and best practice on planning for minimal reclamation impacts in the East Asian region. 

This NGT workshop on impact of coastal land reclamation will engage diverse array of stakeholders, including scientists, policymakers, community leaders, and industry experts. Through structured brainstorming sessions, participants generated innovative ideas spanning environmental conservation, political scenarios, economic viability, community engagement, and technological innovation. Each idea will be meticulously documented and prioritized through transparent voting processes, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration among participants. Facilitated discussions delved into the nuances of the top-ranked ideas, elucidating potential challenges and synergies to inform actionable strategies. By harnessing collective expertise and fostering consensus, the NGT workshop will lay the groundwork for coordinated efforts towards sustainable coastal land reclamation, ensuring a harmonious balance between ecological integrity and socio-economic development. This process is broken down into:-

 

Provision is being made for a Padlet board for online participants for their contribution (TBC)

 

15.23 – 16.22

60 Min (6 challenges; 10 min open per challenge) 

  1. After their brief introduction, each expert will provide one key challenge which will be visible on a power point slide for 5 mins (each single challenge will be open for 5 minutes)
  2. These challenges are proposed for the audience to brainstorm on in groups and to provide their feedback or perhaps even proposed solutions/ways forward via physical post-it notes. 

16.22 – 16.45 

  1. The facilitator will collect these notes and paste them into a white board/wall after each presentation.
  2. The expertise of the panellists will be used to prioritise and sort the ideas provided by the audience
  3. A list of priority areas will be shared with the audience and in the final recommendations. 

 

 

16.45 – 16.55 Closing session 

The Moderator will summarize the lessons learned and recommendations going forward. Information generated in this workshop is also proposed to be shared with the participants of the workshop afterwards and to be made available online. 

 

16.55/17.00 End

23 August, 2024

ST 1.7: Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) – State of the River Basin

Convener 

PEMSEA Resource Facility

 

Venue

TBC

 

Program

TBC

23 August, 2024