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ABOUT PEMSEA> PEMSEA
Story cont.
Ripples of Change
From one big splash, the programme has created continuous
ripples of change throughout the East Asian seas, as it
little by little initiated a number of actions in the
region—actions that have taken a life of their own…steadily
growing into a self-sustaining mechanism.
Integrated Coastal Management
and Risk Assessment / Risk Management
An
integral part of this regional effort is the on-the-ground
implementation of two management frameworks: The Integrated
Coastal Management or ICM, which addresses land-water
interactions and the impacts of human activity in coastal
areas; and the Risk Assessment and Risk Management, which
applies to subregional sea areas and the impacts of human
activities on marine ecosystems.
The
ICM framework provides local government units with tools to
harmonize the economic development and environmental
management of coastal and marine areas.
Guided by the principle of acting locally to propagate
benefits globally, the programme has established national
demonstration sites that provide hands-on experience in
implementing ICM in various localities across the
region—each with different development priorities.
These ICM national demonstration sites have shown notable
capacities in mobilizing local resources to work
collectively in identifying site-specific issues and coming
up with solutions for wide-ranging and multi-sectoral
problems.
Like the steady progression of ripples, the success of these
ICM national demonstration sites have been replicated
through the ICM parallel sites in various parts in the
region.
These parallel sites have tapped multi-stakeholder
partnerships at the local level in developing and
implementing ICM programmes on a self-reliant and
self-sustaining basis—with PEMSEA’s technical expertise.
On
a broader scale, PEMSEA’s ripples of change have drifted
beyond local coasts into subregional seas and marine
pollution hotspots.
Several collaborative activities have been undertaken to
address cross-boundary, multi-jurisdictional environmental
issues in subregional sea areas and marine pollution
hotspots.
Such efforts have built local, national and subregional
capacities in environmental management of the respective
marine and coastal areas, while promoting multi-country and
multi-agency cooperation.
Regional Networking
In
line with this, a range of functional networks have been
developed to support environmental governance, forge
institutional arrangements, and enhance collective regional
capacity.
Stronger links between local government units implementing
ICM have been achieved through the formation of the Regional
Network of Local Governments, which provides an interactive
venue for local government practitioners of ICM to share
experiences in the governance of coastal and marine
resources.
This endeavor has consolidated and built on each country’s
experience by transferring lessons learned and enhancing
required skills and capacities across the region, supported
by a comprehensive, systematic, region-wide action program.
Capacity Building
Propelling the ripples of change even farther and wider, the
regional partnership has been conducting capacity-building
initiatives throughout East Asia in the form of training
workshops and study tours.
These initiatives cover specialized training seminars in
ICM, environmental risk assessment and risk management,
project development, coastal use zoning, oil spill
preparedness and response, and integrated environmental
monitoring.
Through the professional apprenticeship program, the
regional partnership has been able to provide on-the-job
training for interns and fellows as well as promote
awareness and respect for other cultures in the region and
beyond.
Complementing these capacity-building efforts is the
establishment of an ICM regional training center in Xiamen,
China and national training centers in Batangas,
Philippines, and in the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea.
All
these capacity-building programmes at the local and regional
levels have been very effective in imparting knowledge in
environmental management, developing skills, sharing
experiences and resources, enhancing partnerships,
encouraging better understanding among people, and building
human capital for environmental efforts.
Intellectual Capital
The
impact of science and information has progressively turned
the once tiny ripples of change into waves of positive
transformation through the enhancement of intellectual
capacity.
Harvesting the scientific and technical affluence in the
region and processing it into workable solutions through
venues such as the Meeting of Experts, has proven effective
in bridging information gaps to support policy development.
Scientific research has played a vital role in improving
environmental monitoring capacities and promoting better
understanding of the functions of marine ecosystems and
their responses to human interventions.
Through the development of the Integrated Information
Management System or IIMS, sharing the technical inputs of
science and packaging them into accessible information for
regional consumption has been made possible.
This web-enabled information system allows networking among
project sites and fast access and connectivity to
stakeholders and partners in all sectors throughout local
and regional settings.
Anchored on this concept of connectivity is the linking of
websites among countries amply called Coast to Coast or C2C,
which aims to further supplement the integration of data
among concerned stakeholders.
The
production and distribution of videos, complimented with the
numerous case studies, scientific papers, books, magazines,
brochures, and other publications circulated in and around
the region, have likewise taken the concept of information
sharing to a higher level and have added to the region’s
intellectual capital.
Public Mobilization
As
a result, the waves of positive transformation have grown
wider in reach, covering all sectors of society and
producing a powerful consensus within the region through
multi-stakeholder involvement and public mobilization.
The influx of knowledge and skills in sustainable
development has enabled the delivery capacities of
non-government and community-based organizations,
environmental journalists, the youth, and other stakeholders
via concrete action programs.
Partnership with the media has been nurtured through media
conferences and forums on various occasions, emphasizing its
role in sustainable development.
Inspired by the vision of imprinting environmental awareness
on young minds, the regional partnership organized a Summer
Youth Camp in the Philippines in 2002, where future leaders
learned the value of the environment and ways to conserve
and protect it.
This activity set the stage for similar initiatives such as
the Manila Bay Youth Forum in 2002 and 2003, the Girl Scouts
Coastal Clean-Up in Bataan, Philippines, and the Boy Scouts
Coastal Clean-Up in Chonburi, Thailand.
Environmental Investments
Adding momentum to the transformational waves now flowing in
the region is the significant entry of environmental
investment opportunities.
Recognizing that both the public and private sectors and
communities in general can benefit by pooling their
resources and sharing responsibilities, the region has
employed the Public-Private Partnership approach or PPP—an
innovative tool and alternative delivery mechanism that
brings together the skills and resources of diverse partners
in the development of environmental services and facilities
at the local level, particularly for small and medium-sized
municipalities.
Through stakeholder consultations and conduct of
pre-feasibility studies and willingness-to-pay surveys,
possible investments in environmental facilities and
services using clean technology have been packaged into
profitable projects around the region, and in the process,
have turned environmental problems into lucrative
enterprises.
Current PPP projects include: the Integrated Solid Waste
Management Systems in Pampanga and Bataan in the
Philippines; the Integrated Environmental Management and
Development Project for Maluan Bay in Xiamen, China; and the
Integrated Industrial Wastewater and Hazardous Waste
Treatment System in Danang, Vietnam.
These environmental investment initiatives have undoubtedly
showcased that sustainable environmental management can
contribute to economic development.
Political Will
One
of the most pivotal agents in turning the tides in East Asia
has been the realization of the need for national policies
and strategies that consolidate all the integral approaches
to managing coastal and marine environments.
A
giant surge towards this end was the East Asian Seas
Congress held in Putrajaya, Malaysia in 2003, organized in
response to the recommendations of the World Summit on
Sustainable Development regarding the regional
implementation of global commitments on matters related to
coasts and oceans.
One
of the highlights of the Congress was the Ministerial Forum
where ministers and representatives of the 12 participating
countries came together to further concretize their
partnership through the signing of the Putrajaya Declaration
of Regional Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of
the Seas of East Asia.
During this momentous gathering, the ministers adopted a
common framework of integrated and holistic actions and
approaches for the seas of the region, known as the
Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia
or SDS-SEA.
The
SDS-SEA embodies the shared vision of the countries and
other stakeholders for the seas of East Asia and the ways by
which they may achieve that shared vision.
Guided by this vision, individual states have begun
developing their own national coastal strategies and
enacting policy reforms to directly address their specific
sustainable development issues.
Waves of Change
Through years of regional cooperation, a multitude of
developments has inundated the shores of East Asia:
Safer shipping and trade commerce in the region; healthier
and safer habitats for the region’s rich marine life;
improved sanitation services, sewage treatment, and solid
waste management; Improved environmental monitoring
capacities; more effective and streamlined marine policies;
stronger political will and intergovernmental cooperation
towards ocean and coastal issues; bigger environmental
investment opportunities; easier access to safe and
affordable drinking water; better public health; more
sustainable livelihood for coastal communities; wider
avenues for information and expertise sharing across all
sectors and levels; more informed and proactive local
inhabitants who have the passion and the capacity to
directly address environmental issues; cleaner, more
wholesome, and beautiful coastal environments; and above
all…an enhanced quality of life for people in the region.
A Better Tomorrow
Driven by a sense of urgency, the people of East Asia are
rapidly washing away the traces of a troubled past, as they
strive to balance economic development and environmental
sustainability…
From one ripple to the next…
From one wave to another…
The
tides of East Asia now carry the promise of a better future.
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