Resources

Marine plastic pollution is being discussed as one of the three major global crises of climate change, nature loss, and pollution. Although the amount of marine plastic litter entering the sea is relatively smaller than total plastic wastes generated in the globe, it causes various and serious damages in the sea.

While seagrass/seaweed beds are a significant habitat in water in the NOWPAP region, tidal flats and salt marshes are significant on land, both serving important, irreplaceable roles in marine
biodiversity conservation. In the coastal areas of NOWPAP member states, wide tidal flats areas are distributed and provide ecosystem services to human and marine species. Due to coastal

This quarterly contains the following web stories:

1. Developing a project proposal on conservation of biological diversity in the NOWPAP region

The objective of NOWPAP is to protect the regional marine environment under international cooperation between the four member states. NOWPAP initiated marine litter (ML) activities following the decision at the Tenth NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting in 2005.

This Regional synthesis has been prepared based on national inputs provided by the nominated experts from NOWPAP member states: People’s Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea and Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as China, Japan, Korea and Russia).

The land-based sources of plastic contamination of the marine environment require thorough consideration.

River and direct inputs of chemical substances continue to be very important factors related to many environmental problems in marine and coastal areas. This is the reason why the preparation of the Regional Overview on River and Direct Inputs of Contaminants into the Marine and Coastal Environment in the NOWPAP Region (hereinafter RDI RO) was one of the initial activities of POMRAC.

Seagrasses provide important ecological functions and ecosystem services in coastal ecosystems. However, widespread and accelerated losses have been reported worldwide and some seagrass species are now under threat of extinction.

The Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP), launched in September 1994 by the People’s Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation is part of the United Nations Environment Regional Seas Programme.

The Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP) is part of the over four-decade-oldUN Environment Regional Seas Programme that addresses the accelerating degradation of the world’s seas and coasts through a unique “shared seas” approach engaging neighbouring countries in comprehensive and specific acti

During the implementation of NOWPAP Marine Litter Activity, a regional overview regarding marine litter in the NOWPAP region was prepared in October 2007, based on the data and information available in the region (from 2002 to 2005) on existing legal instruments, institutional arrangements, programmes and initiatives. It was then slightly updated and reprinted in 2008.

The Northwest Pacific region features coastal and island ecosystems with spectacular marine life and commercially important fishing resources. The region is also one of the most densely populated parts of the world, resulting in enormous pressures and demands on the environment, including marine and coastal biodiversity.