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ABOUT PEMSEA> PEMSEA
SITE: Demonstration
XIAMEN, PR
CHINA
Objective
To
demonstrate the application of integrated coastal management (ICM) for
effective prevention, control and mitigation of marine pollution.
Profile
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Land
Area: 1,516square kilometers
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Sea
Area: 334 square kilometers
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Coastline:
184.54 kilometers
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Districts:
Kaiyuan, Siming, Gulangyu, Huli, Jimei and Xinglin
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County:
Tongan
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Total
Population (2000): 1.310 million
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Gross
Domestic Product (GDP, 2000): 50.1Billion RMB
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Average
annual GDP growth rate for 1995-2000: 15.7%
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GDP
Growth Rate: 15.2% (1999-2000)
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Main
Economies: light and heavy industries (e.g., electronic, chemical,
machinery, food, building materials, textile, paper making), fisheries
(fishing and mariculture), tidal flats (e.g., reclamation and salt
production), agriculture (rice, vegetables, fruit-bearing plants),
tourism, international trade and port development.
Rationale
Before the 1980s, large-scale reclamation
of near shore areas in Xiamen significantly altered its coastal environment.
However, water quality, in general, was considered clean. The level
of economic development, especially industrialization, was relatively
low and largely dependent on the municipality's primary resources such
as agriculture and fishing. Thus, pollution input associated with land-based
activities was relatively small.
In the 1980s, the State Council of the
PRO China declared Xiamen a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Since then,
the socioeconomic growth of Xiamen Municipality has increased due to
its policy of building Xiamen into "a modern, international, maritime
and scenic city." This policy has set new requirements for the use and
management of Xiamen's natural resources, particularly its coastal lands
and waters. As a consequence, industrialization and urbanization accelerated;
population growth increased; uses of coastal and marine resources diversified
and intensified resulting in severe space competition, resource-use
conflicts, and pollution. These adverse consequences of unregulated
economic growth and population increase resulted in the reduction and
deterioration of natural habitats and living resources, siltation and
erosion, retreat of shoreline, and blocking of navigation channels.
Apparently, China's traditional coastal
management system could not keep up with its rapid economic development
as the many multiple resource use conflicts and increasing pollution
threats require innovative and holistic management interventions.
Environmental Management Issues
The major management problems in Xiamen
are:
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weak institutional capability for marine
pollution prevention and mitigation;
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lack of integrated planning, uncoordinated
or unregulated marine resource development;
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single sector-oriented policy-making
and ineffective coordination;
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inadequate legislation for effective
resolution of multiple resource-use conflicts
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poor law enforcement;
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insufficient funding for integrated
environmental management;
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weak marine environmental consciousness
among the policy-makers and lack of awareness by the general public;
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lack of sound scientific basis for management
intervention;
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scattered database and lack of interdisciplinary
and cross-sectoral exchange, analysis, and assessment; and
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transboundary issues.
Project Summary
The project was operationalized in 1994
with the Xiamen Municipal Government as the lead implementing agency
and the Marine Management Division as the operational arm. An executive
committee has been established to take charge of project management,
with the vice-mayor as chairperson. The Executive Committee involving
over 20 government agencies on planning, finance, marine affairs, land
use, environmental protection, fisheries, port operations and tourism,
is the institutional mechanism for interagency consultation, coordination
and review of major coastal projects. Twenty-three subprojects are being
implemented covering a wide range of activities including:
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environmental profiling;
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establishment of strategic environmental
management plans;
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institutional arrangements and strengthening;
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ecological and socioeconomic impacts
of economic developments;
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establishment of a marine functional
zonation scheme;
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abatement and management of pollution
from coastal aquaculture;
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evaluation of solid and hazardous waste
management, including sea disposal;
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evaluation of the Yuan Dang Lagoon;
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GIS development for planning and management;
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management atlas;
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establishment of environmental foundation
and environmental fund;
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public awareness of marine pollution
issues;
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strengthening regulations on coastal
management;
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sea water quality standard and criteria;
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integrated waste action plan for Xinlin
Bay;
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marine environmental quality changes
and monitoring of coastal waters; and
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integrated law enforcement
Main Project Achievements and Outputs
(as of 1998)
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Coastal Environmental Profile, 1996;
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Strategic Management Plan for Marine
Pollution Prevention and Management in Xiamen, adopted by the Xiamen
Municipal Government, 1996;
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An Interagency Marine Management and
Coordination Committee (MMCC), 1996, established through enactment
of a legal ordinance of the local government, 1996;
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A Marine Management and Coordination
Committee Office (MMCO), a permanent operational arm of MMCC established
under the General Administration of the Local Government, 1996;
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An Integrated Law Enforcement Task Force,
1996;
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A Marine Functional Zonation scheme
approved and being implemented by the local government, 1996;
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An operational Integrated Marine Pollution
Monitoring Program under the leadership of the Third Institute of
Oceanography, 1996;
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Geographic Information Systems capability
established at Jimei University, 1996.
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Marine management legislation approved
by People's Congress, January 1997;
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Adoption of sea use zoning by the Municipal
Government of Xiamen, April 1997;
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Establishment of a cross-sectoral marine
environment monitoring program in Xiamen, April 1997;
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Publication of the Coastal Environmental
Profile of Xiamen, May 1997;
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Xiamen demonstration project cited in
White Paper on Marine Development in China, 1998;
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Creation of an environmental protection
foundation, 1998;
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Established a research coordinating
mechanism, 1998;
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Numerous technical reports of subprojects
listed above.
The Xiamen ICM Project is now on its 2nd
ICM cycle in order to build on the good ICM practices developed.
Aside from the main achievements and outputs during the project’s initial
phase, the various activities to be undertaken include:
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Operation of the Xiamen International
Training Center for Sustainable Coastal Development as a PEMSEA
Regional ICM Training Center
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Study on the socio-economic benefits
and costs of the ICM program in Xiamen
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Development of a project framework
for Jilongjiang estuary
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ISO 14001 application and certification
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Development and implementation of
environmental investments
Contact
persons:
Zhou Lumin
Deputy Director General and Director, Xiamen ICM Project
Xiamen Ocean and Fisheries Bureau
Xiamen Municipal Government
10/F Labor Building
No 191 Changqing Road
Xiamen 361012
People’s Republic of China
Tel : [86-592]5396312
Fax: [86-592]5396399
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