PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN APPROVED
During the First Project Steering Committee (PSC)
Meeting, 7 to 8 March 2005, in Seoul, Korea, the PSC reviewed and approved
the Project Implementation Plan which serves as a guide for the project’s
course. The Implementation Plan was approved following the discussions,
agreements, and recommendations from the first two Regional Technical
Meetings, held in Beijing, China, in December 2004, and in Ansan, Korea, in
March 2005. The Plan includes the background, objectives, implementation
mechanisms, list of agreed activities, budget, workplan, expected Project
outputs, and monitoring and evaluation procedures.
The Implementation Plan lists the activities to be
carried out under each Project component. One of the main activities at the
beginning of the Project is to collect data and information to determine the
transboundary problems in the Yellow Sea. This activity will illustrate the
trends of each problem, the available data and information in the region,
the gaps in knowledge, and what additional work is needed.
The activity will contribute to the development of the
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis which will take place during the first two
years of project implementation.
Project Steering Committee in Seoul, ROK
BUDGET AND WORKPLAN HAVE
BEEN APPROVED
The budget was revised according to the new priorities
agreed at the 1st and 2nd Regional Technical Meetings. The revised budget
was approved at the 1st Project Steering Committee Meeting.
During the 2nd
Regional Technical Meeting, Korea and China increased their co-financing
contributions. The YSEPP also announced its co-financing contribution to the
Project which was very much appreciated by all partners.
REGIONAL CO-OPERATION: WORKING WITH OTHERS
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on co-operation in
promoting conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal environment
in the Yellow sea between the WWF/KORDI/KEI Project “Yellow Sea Eco-region
Planning Programme (YSEPP)” and the UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Large Marine
Ecosystem (YSLME) Project was signed during the First Project Steering
Committee (PSC) Meeting and Project Launching Ceremony on 7th March, 2005 in
Seoul, Republic of Korea. Under this important MOU both projects will share
their databases and experience in enhancing public awareness and public
communication.
During the meeting, there were several discussions about regional cooperation among various projects. Dr. Chua Thia-Eng, Project Director for the Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Project and Mr. Xiaodong Zhong from the Northwest Pacific Action Plan’s (NOWPAP) expressed both their organisation’s willingness to co-operate with the YSLME Project, with Dr. Chua suggesting possible areas of collaboration in capacity building, information exchange, regional and technical conferences, investment opportunities, and with the communication with Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK); and Mr. Zhong stating that NOWPAP could collaborate in data sharing, sharing expertise, training events, and contributing to the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme.
Wetlands International has participated in some of
the Project’s regional technical and working group meetings. They have been
invited to participate in the project, and thus far, have responded
positively.
* Reference:
YSEPP: The Yellow Sea Ecoregion Planning Programme has been selected as an outstanding example of managing coastal marine ecosystems. Bordered by three countries (China, North Korea, and South Korea), there is a growing recognition of the Yellow Sea at the international level as a single unit that needs coordinated management. In July 2002, WWF-Japan and China, Wetlands & Birds Korea, and the Wetlands International-China Programme launched a joint project to conserve biodiversity in the Yellow Sea. The project encompasses two major areas – the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea.
PEMSEA: PEMSEA stands for Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia. The aim of this program is to abate the negative impacts of pollutions and minimize the potential conflicts that arise from the tremendous development phase in this region. The program is termed Integrated Coastal Management or simply ICM. As water flow is boundless, one activity in one country might affect the other country due to the semi-enclosed system of the ocean. Realizing this, the program has selected demonstration sites in the East Asian region to participate in this effort.
NOWPAP: NOWPAP (Northwest Pacific Action Plan) is one of the regional seas action plans fostered by UNEP, and adopted by four countries—China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russia—in 1994, with the objective of preserving the marine environment of the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea.
UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea
Project PMO - KORDI, Ansan, ROK.
T: 82-31-400-7829
F: 82-31-400-7826 E: info@yslme.org