I. NOWPAP Progress

Advancing Regional Cooperation in Pollution Monitoring

NOWPAP Organises its First Webinar on Seagrass Mapping

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development was launched in the Western Pacific and its adjacent areas

The 15th Environmental Subcommittee Meeting of NEAR

Globally consistent assessment of coastal eutrophication

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Republic of Korea joining the United Nations

Reviewing marine environmental data and information sharing in the NOWPAP region

Virtual Intersessional Workshop for the Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue

II. Upcoming Events

The 24th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting will be held online on 29-31 March 2022.

Advancing Regional Cooperation in Pollution Monitoring

The 18th Focal Points Meeting of NOWPAP Pollution Monitoring Regional Activity Centre was online on 7-8 December 2021. The scientists from the Northwest Pacific region reviewed the projects implemented in 2020 and 2021 and agreed to the work plan in the next biennium.

In 2020 and 2021, the scientists in the region made progress in testing the agreed ecological quality objective targets within the designated areas. They adjusted targets through possible alignment with the SDG-14 indicators.

NOWPAP Organises its First Webinar on Seagrass Mapping

Seagrass habitats are valuable coastal ecosystems in maintaining marine biodiversity and mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing carbon. The Special Monitoring and Coastal Environment Assessment Regional Activity Centre (CEARAC) of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) organised its first webinar for mapping seagrass by optical sensors from 30 November to 02 December 2021. About 50 participants have registered for the webinar.

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development was launched in the Western Pacific and its adjacent areas

The Regional Kick-off Conference of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2021) (Ocean Decade) in the Western Pacific and its adjacent areas was organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, and the Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO on 25-26 November 2021.

The 15th Environmental Subcommittee Meeting of NEAR

The 15th Environmental Subcommittee Meeting of the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR) and the Meeting on countermeasures against Marine Litter in the North-East Asian Region were organised back-to-back through a virtual meeting by the Government of Toyama Prefecture, NEAR, and the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Centre (NPEC) on 17 November 2021.

Globally consistent assessment of coastal eutrophication

Key Points:

-Introduction of a Google Earth Engine app that allows a globally consistent assessment of eutrophication in a way never done before

-The app identifies eutrophication trends worldwide solely based on satellite-derived chlorophyll-a

-The app can detect areas with severe symptoms of eutrophication and those with improving water quality

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Republic of Korea joining the United Nations

The year 2021 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Republic of Korea (ROK) joining the United Nations. To celebrate this event, the United Nations offices in ROK and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of ROK jointly organised a virtual Policy Dialogue on the Future of Multilateralism and the Role of the Republic of Korea on 22 October 2021.

Reviewing marine environmental data and information sharing in the NOWPAP region

Experts from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russia gathered online at the Expert Meeting 2021 and the 19th Focal Points Meeting of the Data and Information Network Regional Activity Centre (DINRAC) on 13 and 14 October 2021 to review the progress of the regional cooperation in marine environmental data and information sharing and explore ways of strengthening the current cooperation.

Virtual Intersessional Workshop for the Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue

In response to an urgent need for effective regional ocean governance, the Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) was established at the margins of COP 10, through the leadership of Japan, COP 10 Presidency, and in collaboration with various intergovernmental and nation partners willing to provide the necessary support to this global initiative.

Upcoming Events

The 24th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting will be held online on 29-31 March 2022.

Contact Us

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