PEMSEA is a regional partnership arrangement among 11 countries of the East Asian Seas region and 12 non-government Partners. The Country Partners include: Cambodia; China; DPR Korea; Indonesia; Japan; Lao PDR; Philippines; RO Korea; Singapore; Timor Leste; and Vietnam. Multi-sectoral Partners are: Conservation International, Coastal Management Center, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (IOC/WESTPAC), Korea Environment Institute (KEI), Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF), Oil Spill Response/East Asia Response Limited (OSRL/EARL), Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme, UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Sources (UNEP/GPA), UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Project (YSLME).

The PEMSEA partnership arrangement is focused on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). International agencies and donors supporting the SDS-SEA implementation include the Global Environment Facility (GEF); The World Bank; and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

A major challenge of PEMSEA involves turning knowledge and concern about the degradation and destruction of East Asia’s coastal and marine environment into on-the ground actions. One way of addressing this challenge is to raise awareness and to mobilize the exclusive and collective strengths and capacities of individuals, communities, economic sectors and governments. PEMSEA believes that there is an abundance of intellectual capital available in the region, and is committed to effectively mobilizing and utilizing these resources and skills to effectively develop and implement sustainable development programs at the local, national and regional levels.

One approach being employed by PEMSEA to meet the challenge is to build and utilize regional and country task forces to provide technical assistance and support to government and non-government Partners and collaborators for the implementation of the SDS-SEA. A task force will normally consist of a team of three to five people. The issues and coverage provided by the different task forces include:

1. Project planning, development and management
2. Coastal strategy development and implementation
3. Environmental risk assessment
4. Integrated information management
5. Environmental and resource valuation
6. Coastal use zoning
7. Integrated environmental monitoring
8. Waste management/pollution control
9. Performance evaluation
10. Coastal and ocean policy and institutional arrangements
11. Training and skills development
12. Communication and stakeholder mobilization
13. Hazard management and prevention

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PROJECT PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT

Objective: The task force on project planning, development and management provides support services to developers and implementers of ICM projects. The team is expected to effectively impart to the local site personnel the operational skills needed in each phase of the ICM Project Cycle enabling them to design, develop and implement projects and programs efficiently. The team members must therefore be familiar with the concept and elements of ICM project development and management as well as the tools and techniques needed to manage the different phases of the Project Cycle - from conceptualization, planning and design; formulation, review and approval; to implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

Team Disciplines: The areas of discipline required include a combination of graduate or post-graduate degrees in public administration, business administration, urban planning, marketing and finance, computer science, information management, environmental law and applicable disciplines in natural and social sciences. An equivalent combination of training and experience in project planning, development, management and implementation is an added advantage.
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COASTAL STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

Objective: A coastal strategy embodies the stakeholders’ long-term, shared vision for their coastal area and defines their common mission. It brings together the many stakeholders – users, beneficiaries and agencies with responsibility for managing different parts of the coast, its catchments, waterways and the marine environment – to facilitate coordination and ensure that a clear framework and an integrated approach is taken in the development and management of the coast in a sustainable way. Developing the coastal strategy provides the stakeholders a venue for identifying values of the coast, issues and areas of concern, and for consensus-building with regards to the guiding principles, strategies and corresponding objectives, action programs, supporting policies and responsible institutions/sectors. As a process, the development of a coastal strategy stimulates discussion among local stakeholders and sharing of ideas and information.

The task force will provide guidance to the local team at the ICM site: (a) for the preparation of materials; (b) during the consultative workshops with stakeholders at the local (municipal, city, provincial) and national levels; and (c) for integration of the workshop outputs and finalization of the coastal strategy.

Team Disciplines: The task force is composed of people with the following disciplines/backgrounds: environmental management and development; urban and regional planning; coastal and marine resource management; resource/environmental economics; public administration. Good communication skills and experience in planning and facilitating stakeholder consultations and consensus-building workshops are an asset.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT

Objective: Environmental risk assessment (RA) and risk management (RM) are among the tools used by PEMSEA to assist ICM sites in prioritizing concerns. RA is a systematic and transparent process that characterizes the risks to the ecosystem and human health as a result of factors derived from human activities, and determines priority environmental concerns. The output from RA serves as an input to RM, which involves identifying options for reducing priority concerns and selecting cost-effective intervention measures. RA, therefore, provides a rational basis for decision-making affecting the coastal and marine environment.

The task force will be mobilized to support capacity building in and the conduct of environmental risk assessment at ICM and pollution hotspot sites.

Team Disciplines: The risk assessment task team will include members having specializations in the natural sciences particularly environmental chemistry, marine science, public health, ecotoxicology and other related areas. The team will be trained on the RA/RM framework and process of PEMSEA.
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INTEGRATED INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Objective: One of the pre-requisites of a comprehensive and effective management program is access to, and a good analysis of, information concerning the area and issues to be managed. A ready-to-use software, the Integrated Information Management System (IIMS) has been developed by PEMSEA for use by government agencies and other stakeholders in the management of ICM and pollution hotspot sites. The IIMS team is tasked: a) to establish a reliable IIMS and GIS databases; b) demonstrate the application of IIMS to local stakeholders; and c) train local staff to maintain and effectively utilize the information system. The team will work at local and/or national level, depending on the coverage of the ICM or RA/RM site.

Team Disciplines: The IIMS team will include members with the following disciplines and experience: computer science; information management; systems administration; information networking; environmental management/science; urban and regional or environmental planning; geographic information system; natural resource management.
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ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE VALUATION

Objective: Resource valuation will provide policy- and decision-makers and coastal managers access to information on the contribution that a particular resource is providing – in physical and monetary terms – and how management and stakeholder decisions on the use of that resource will affect society. Environmental valuation will provide the value of impacts and damages to human health and the economy due to resource losses and deterioration of environmental quality.

The task force will take the lead in the conduct of total economic valuation activities, which include, but not limited to the following: determination of priority habitats, resources and environmental quality parameters in the concerned site, collection of necessary information; identification and valuation of various use and non-use values of coastal and marine resources and environmental impacts; valuation of socioeconomic losses arising from environmental and resource degradation; statistical and economic analysis; preparation of reports and presentation to stakeholders. Economic valuation activities will be undertaken at the national level.

Team Disciplines: The task force should be composed of people with the following disciplines/background: coastal and marine resource economics; environmental economics; environmental science; biology; fisheries.
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COASTAL USE ZONING

Objective: Coastal areas are confronted with multiple-use conflicts due to varying interests and priorities among different economic sectors and users of limited coastal and marine resources. Competition over the use of these resources often results in degradation and destruction of marine habitats, pollution of coastal waters, reduction in abundance or disappearance of fish species, contamination of food supplies, loss of value, etc.

Coastal use zoning aims to provide a logical approach for local and national governments to implement appropriate zoning schemes for the sustainable usage of their coastal areas. The coastal-use zoning team is tasked to assist stakeholders to: 1) develop a zoning scheme for a given site taking into consideration the physical, socio-economic and ecological aspects of the area; and 2) explore appropriate institutional arrangements that will enable the implementation of the coastal-use zoning scheme.

Team Disciplines: The coastal use zoning task force will include members with the following disciplines and experience: urban and regional planning; environmental planning; public administration; natural resource management; environmental science; economics.
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INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Objective: The integrated environmental monitoring program (IEMP) for an ICM site or pollution hotspot will aim to develop and institutionalize a network of agencies/institutions committed to implementing a long-term monitoring program, sustaining it through resource-sharing, and optimizing use of information through data-sharing. The aim is to improve coordination and enhance the use of available resources among government agencies, levels of government, the private sector, and other non-government entities involved in environmental monitoring. Furthermore, the objective is to promote the integration and enhanced use of information by managers in various sectors (e.g., environment; fisheries; shipping; petroleum; public heath; tourism) and allow more cost-effective use of typically limited resources.

Team Disciplines: The IEMP task force will include individuals with specializations in the marine and environmental sciences (marine biology, marine chemistry, oceanography, fisheries, environmental science, environmental chemistry, environmental management, etc.) and related fields. Knowledge of coastal habitats and ecosystems, problems and issues, and considerations in developing and implementing environmental monitoring programs is an asset, as is good communication skills.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT/POLLUTION CONTROL

Objective: The task force is focused on developing capacities of stakeholders and at the local government level to identify, evaluate, plan and implement integrated waste management and pollution control programs to mitigate adverse impacts on human health and the environment. A particular aim is to determine the potential role of public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements to overcome constraints to local government investments in environmental facilities and services.

Team Disciplines: The waste management/pollution control task force will include individuals with the following disciplines: environmental management, applied science/engineering; public administration; economics; business administration; other related disciplines. Individuals with experience in implementing projects on waste management and pollution control in the rural and/or urban areas involving both the public and private sectors will be an asset.
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PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Objective: PEMSEA is embarking on an assessment and recognition scheme on Port Safety Health and Environmental Management System and Integrated Coastal Management to promote scaling up, replication and recognition of good management practices. These initiatives will entail performance evaluation of the PSHEMS or ICM systems of ports and local governments to ensure that the management systems that have been established are documented and implemented effectively in accordance with the PEMSEA standards (PSHEM Code and ICM Code) that have been adopted voluntarily.

The PEMSEA performance evaluation task force will be responsible for the conduct of performance assessment and recognition audits of ports, organizations, and local government units who are implementing or adopted the PSHEM Code or ICM Code.

Team Disciplines: Members of the performance evaluation task force will include graduates of an accredited auditor training course, preferably a Lead Auditor course. Individuals with experience in auditing related to quality management systems, environmental management systems, and occupational safety and health will be an asset.
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COASTAL AND OCEAN POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

Objective: The coastal and ocean policy and institutional arrangements task force will assist in mainstreaming national policies and programs on sustainable coastal and ocean development into social and economic development programs, and formulate different institutional arrangements for strengthening national ICM programs. The work will involve the analysis of existing policies, programs and institutional mechanisms, and advice in drafting of laws, policies and recommendations for institutional arrangements, taking into consideration multisectoral coordination and integration and stakeholder participation.

The team will work with local governments as well, where the work will focus more on the institutionalization of ICM among local stakeholder groups.

Team Disciplines: The task force will be comprised of the following disciplines: environmental science; marine science; resource economics; marine affairs; environmental law; maritime law; international studies; international relations; and ocean legislation. Experience in the formulation of coastal/ocean policy is an advantage.
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TRAINING

Objective: PEMSEA envisions to increasing skills and expertise in environmental management in the region through various capacity development programs, which give stakeholders the confidence and ability to address environmental issues on a self-sustaining and self-reliant manner.

The training task force will be responsible for developing and implementing a Trainer’s Training program on specialized subjects designed for increasing environmental management capacity of local government units and stakeholders implementing ICM programs. The role of the team is to ensure the effective conduct of specialized training courses at the local level by: a) designing and developing training modules based on the needs of LGUs and stakeholders; and b) delivering effective training programs.

Team Disciplines: The training task force will include individuals from the following disciplines: marine and environmental sciences (marine biology, marine chemistry, oceanography, fisheries, environmental science, environmental chemistry, environmental management, etc.) and related fields. Members of the training team knowledgeable and experienced in developing and conducting training courses (instructional design), and/or with experience in conducting various types of coastal and marine environment-related training courses are an asset.
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COMMUNICATION AND STAKEHOLDER MOBILIZATION

Objective: The task force will focus on community-level capacity strengthening on information, education and communication campaigns (IEC) to enhance knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSAs) and promote the meaningful participation of stakeholders in coastal and marine management.

Team Disciplines: The communication and stakeholder mobilization task force will include individuals from the following disciplines: community development; mass communication; sociology; anthropology, public administration and other related social science disciplines. A good background in community organizing and IEC techniques, stakeholder engagement and mobilization of community groups in alternative livelihood projects, environmental protection, and resource management will be an asset to team members.
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HAZARD PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT

Objective: ICM, a comprehensive and holistic approach to manage marine and coastal resources and environment, has seldom been implemented in relation to natural hazards. Recent global disasters, however, have highlighted the link between increased vulnerability to natural hazards and environmental degradation. Considering that the frameworks and processes for ICM and hazard management share the same basic elements of inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary coordination, use of sound science, policy and functional integration, stakeholder consultation and participation, effective institutional and legal arrangements, and strengthening of local capacity for planning and management, integrating hazard prevention and management into the ICM framework would be a step forward in meeting their common goals to protect human lives and promote sustainable development.

The task force will be mobilized to provide technical advice and support to ICM and pollution hotspot sites to ensure that essential elements for natural and man-induced hazard prevention and management are incorporated in the different stages and components of ICM planning, development and implementation.

Team Disciplines: The hazard prevention and management task team will include individuals with specializations in the following and related fields: meteorology, hydrology, geology, oceanography, geography, engineering, pollution management, coastal resource management, environmental management, environmental science, marine science, public health, and eco-toxicology. Understanding of the technical nature of natural and man-induced hazards and risks is essential.
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