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Management of Coastal Ecosystems
In East Asia more than seventy percent of the population
live in coastal areas, and depend on marine
and coastal resources for food, employment and
income. In South Asia, coastal populations are
vulnerable to extreme weather events and survive
on diminishing coastal resources. In the western
Pacific region, small island states suffer degradation
to their coral reefs and natural coastal resources
from the encroaching pressures of development
and climate change. The work of United Nations
University (UNU) in this region spans the range of
these concerns, promoting education, research and
awareness raising amongst a community comprising
scholars and coastal managers who have
much to learn from each-other.
Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems:
Mangroves are a critical element of the coastal hydrosphere and stand out
as an ecosystem with high economic potential, often subjected to severe
exploitation. This component seeks to share experiences in preservation and
sustainable management of mangroves and to promote scientific cooperation
in this field in the Asia-Pacific region.
A major activity was a joint workshop, organized by UNU, UNESCO and
International Society for Mangroves Ecosystems (ISME), focused on issues
related conservation and sustainable use of mangroves (March 2000). It led
to the development of an action plan for conservation of mangrove ecosystems.
"Regional and subregional cooperation and arrangements are crucial for
successful actions to protect the marine environment from land-based
activities. This is particularly so where a number of countries have
coasts in the same marine and coastal area. Such cooperation allows for more
accurate identification and assessment of the problems in particular
geographic areas and more appropriate establishment of priorities for
action in these areas."
Article 29, Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine
Environment from Land-based Activities (1995)
Major initiatives related to mangrove ecosystems:
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