News

With the financial support from UNEP Division of Environmental Policy Implementation, NOWPAP successfully convened the Brainstorming Workshop on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity on 17 September 2009 in Toyama, Japan.

NOWPAP CEARAC has developed a website dedicated to harmful algae blooms (HAB) which will soon be available after the review by the 7th CEARAC Focal Points Meeting scheduled on 14-15 September 2009 in Toyama, Japan.  From this dedicated website, regional integrated reports on HAB, reports on country case studies, public awareness brochures, database on experts and some details on each case study will be available along with other information, such as meetings, events and links to other relevant organizations, programmes and institutions.   

As part of the cooperative activities between NOWPAP and PICES, NOWPAP CEARAC director and expert attended the PICES Summer School on Satellite Oceanography for the Earth Environment on 25-28 August 2009 in Seoul National University, Korea.  The 4-day summer school was conducted for 36 postgraduate students, early-career scientists and other professionals from the North Pacific region. The event was sponsored by several Korean and international organizations and companies.

As decided at the 8th NOWPAP DINRAC Focal Points Meeting in May 2009, a working group on marine invasive species (MIS) has been set up and started developing an outline for compiling national reports and a regional overview which are expected to be completed within several months.  In the mean time, NOWPAP RCU expert is attending a MIS Workshop organized by COBSEA, which is also developing a regional strategy on the marine invasive species.  

The NOWPAP Scientific Affairs Officer, Dr. Sangjin Lee, delivered a lecture on “Climate change and its effects on biodiversity” with the focus on conservation of marine environment at the Tunza International Children and Youth Conference. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in cooperation with UNEP National Committee for the Republic of Korea hosted a Tunza International Children and Youth Conference in Daejeon, Korea from 17 to 23 August 2009.  The conference with a main theme of Climate Change brought together about 750 participants from 106 countries.

Dr. Young-Woo Park, Director of UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), visited NOWPAP RCU Busan office on 9 June 2009.  Dr. Park was attending the 3rd International Conference on Children’s Health and the Environment (held in Busan, Korea on 7-10 June), where he made an opening statement and chaired one of the sessions. During his short visit to Busan office, Dr. Park shared his ideas related to NOWPAP implementation (e.g.

At its 12th Focal Points Meeting (FPM) and the 4th Competent National Authorities (CNA) Meeting for NOWPAP Regional Oil and HNS Spill Contingency Plan held in Daejeon on 1-3 June 2009, NOWPAP Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre (MERRAC) approved the workplan and budget for the 2010-2011 biennium.

Starting from information exchange, linking websites and sharing publications, NOWPAP has developed cooperative relationship with the Korea UNEP National Committee.  After attending and delivering a lecture at a workshop organized by the Committee last year on the oil spill in Taean, Korea, NOWPAP representative will participate in another event sponsored by the Committee: international video conference on Global Green New Deal in Seoul on 5 June 2009.  

NOWPAP Data and Information Network Regional Activity Centre (DINRAC) has recently completed its 8th Focal Points Meeting in Beijing.  During the three-day meeting on 19-21 May 2009, DINRAC Focal Points approved the workplan and budget for 2010-2011 that is to be submitted to NOWPAP 14th IGM at the end of this year for adoption.  DINRAC will form a working group to develop an activity on alien species, visualize the current DINRAC website using the web-based GIS and maintain its internet communication system among member states.

NOWPAP participated in the Global Gathering 2009 in Busan, Korea on 23 May 2009.  A NOWPAP exhibition booth was set up at the event which was designed by Busan municipal government as a cultural exchange event to promote international cooperation. This is the second time that NOWPAP has participated in this annual event since 2008.  

The NOWPAP representatives attended the World Ocean Conference in Manado, Indonesia on 11-15 May 2009.  The Conference was aimed at creating a forum for the world community to discuss current marine and ocean issues which are related to climate change. The Manado Declaration was adopted at the conference by the participating governments and the outcomes from the conference will be brought to the current climate change negotiation process at the UN Climate Change Conference in December 2009 in Copenhagen.  The Coral Triangle Summit was also held at the same time.

Recruited by UNEP as NOWPAP Administrative Officer and Scientific Affairs Officer,   Mr. Masakatsu OHYAMA and Mr. Sangjin LEE have recently reported respectively to NOWPAP RCU offices in Toyama (Japan) and Busan (Republic of Korea).    Mr. Ohyama, a Japanese national, had been working at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs for more than 10 years, being in charge of financial and programme management before joining NOWPAP.  He also worked at an investment institution for four years, dealing with corporate finance and investments.

Two program officers from the NOWPAP RCU are leaving us on 31 March 2009, after working hard for four years trying to implement, promote and coordinate NOWPAP activities. Ms. (Dr.) Jeung Sook PARK, NOWPAP Scientific Affairs Officer, has reported to her Busan duty station in January 2005.  Since that time, and thanks to her efforts, NOWPAP became much more known not only in our region but also as far away as South Africa and Jamaica.

According to the decision of the 12th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM), the relocation of the NOWPAP Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator between Toyama and Busan RCU offices took place in December 2008. Now both offices are fully operational.  After the relocation, a courtesy call has been paid respectively by the Coordinator and the Deputy Coordinator to Seoul and Tokyo. The 2nd NOWPAP BRAVO exercise has been conducted successfully in January 2009 by NOWPAP member countries under the coordination of MERRAC.

In 2002, when the 7th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) decided that NOWPAP RCU offices will be co-hosted by Toyama (Japan) and Busan (Korea), member states agreed that every four years Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator would be rotated between these two offices.    According to the 12th NOWPAP IGM decision, the first rotation was scheduled for December 2008 - January 2009.  On 15 December 2008, NOWPAP Coordinator, Alexander Tkalin, is expected to arrive to Busan RCU office.

The Second NOWPAP training course on remote sensing data analysis was organized jointly by the NOWPAP Special Monitoring & Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Centre (CEARAC) and the Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute (KORDI) at Cheju National University (Korea) on1-5 November 2008. The training course was conducted for 23 selected trainees, including postgraduate students, professional researchers and local government officers working in the field of marine sciences, from China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, France and Thailand.

A representative of NOWPAP RCU participated in the 3rd Workshop of the Yellow Sea Partnership (YSP) in Changwon, the Republic of Korea on 2 November 2008.  The meeting was attended by about 30 people from more than 20 organizations.  Participants shared with each other the information on activities that have been implemented or being planned in relation to the protection of the Yellow Sea.  The meeting participants heard 12 short presentations focusing on regional efforts and local actions taken in the Yellow Sea region and beyond.

The 13th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting was held on 20-21 October 2008 in Jeju, Republic of Korea.  The meeting was attended by representatives of the NOWPAP member states (China, Japan, Korea and Russia), UNEP (Marine Ecosystems Unit and Division of GEF Coordination) and NOWPAP partners (COBSEA, PEMSEA and YSLME).  Although not able to dispatch representatives to the meeting in person, IOC/WESPAC and PICES sent written statements to the meeting for enhancing cooperation with NOWPAP.

The NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP MALI) is being implemented since March 2008, after its approval by the four NOWPAP member states. The 2008 NOWPAP International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) and Training Workshop were held in Vladivostok, Russian Federation on 26-28 September, as one of RAP MALI activities.

As one of the activities of the NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter, an International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) campaign was held in Dalian, People’s Republic of China on 11 September 2008.  This event brought several hundred volunteers from local governmental agencies, industries, universities and non-governmental organizations together with international participants representing Japan, Ocean Conservancy and NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit.

The 2nd Joint NOWAP Oil Spill Exercise was conduced on 2 September 2008 in Qingdao, China.  This exercise was jointly organized by China Maritime Safety Administration and the Korea Coast Guard as one of the activities under the NOWPAP programme of work for 2008.   The purpose of having this joint activity was to check the coordination between Chinese and Korean authorities in dealing with oil spill emergency preparedness and response.  More than two dozen vessels, including two from Korea, an airplane and helicopter participated in the drill with more than 500 people observing the exercise.

In May-June 2008, three NOWPAP Regional Activity Centres (DINRAC, MERRAC and POMRAC) held their Focal Points Meetings (CEARAC Meeting has been held in March 2008).  All four NOWPAP Regional Activity Centres (RACs) have reviewed their progress and agreed on new projects for 2008-2009 biennium.

On 31 May 2008, Ms. Angela Cropper, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, visited NOWPAP RCU office in Toyama where she exchanged opinions and ideas with RCU staff members after being briefed on NOWPAP activities. While in Toyama, she paid a courtesy visit to Governor of Toyama Prefecture and Mayor of Toyama City to express appreciation for their support for the operation of NOWPAP RCU Toyama Office.

NOWPAP has recently increased exchange with partners through participation in a number of international meetings and workshops.   On 7-10 April 2008, NOWPAP activities were presented at the 4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands (attended by over 400 patricians from 70 countries).  NOWPAP is trying to bring interested partners, such as PEMSEA, to share their experience in Integrated Coastal and River Basin Management (ICARM), and have received positive response.

Since NOWPAP launched the marine litter activity in 2005, its efforts on dealing with this global problem have been continuously strengthened and started to attract attention outside the region.  In the 2007 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) report, recently published by the Ocean Conservancy, in addition to reflecting data from Korea and Japan, China and Russia (who jointed the ICC campaign recently) have been also praised for their participation in this international effort in Shanghai and Vladivostok.