Headlines: Major intergovernmental agreements and actors Action programmes, strategies, and research State of the regional environment GEF Projects in the region Other actors and initiatives Major intergovernmental agreements and actors Agreement for the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission See also the Agreement (adopted in 1993, in force in 1996) as a pdf file. The objective of the Commission (IOTC) is to promote cooperation among its Members with a view to ensuring, through appropriate management, the conservation and optimum utilisation of stocks covered by this Agreement and encouraging sustainable development of fisheries based on such stocks. UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP Within the Water Resources Programme under its Environment and Natural Resources Development Division, the UN ESCAP organizes seminars and workshops on various issues relating to water resources, including: Water resources assessment; Integrated water resources development and management; Protection of water resources, water quality and aquatic ecosystems; River basin development and management; Promotion of infrastructure development and investment for drinking water supply and sanitation; Water pricing and promotion of private investment in the water sector; Water demand management, water saving and economic use of water; and Mitigation of water-related natural disasters, particularly flood loss reduction. UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, ESCWA The UN ESCWA has a mandate for raising the level of economic development and cooperation among the countries of its region and between them and other parts of the world. The Natural Resources and Environment Management Programme under its Energy, Natural Resources and Environment Division includes a water resources component covering issues like assessment of water resources in ESCWA member states; harmonisation of environmental standards in the water sector of ESCWA member states; and Progress achieved in the implementation of chapter 18 of Agenda 21, with emphasis on water for sustainable agricultural production (case studies); Development of fresh water resources in the rural areas using non-conventional techniques; and Current water policies and practices in selected ESCWA countries. UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, ROAP Working closely with the Division of Regional Co-operation and Representation in UNEP's Nairobi-based headquarters, the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) looks to adopt global environmental policy to regional priorities and needs. It acts as a catalyst, co-ordinator, facilitater and mobilizer of resources. It puts particular emphasis on building partnerships with regional and sub-regional intergovernmental fora, other UN agencies, national governments, NGOs, the private sector, academic and research institutions, and civil society, and the media. See also here. Financial institutions Asian Development Bank, ADB The Asian Development Bank, a multilateral development finance institution, was founded in 1966 by 31 member governments to promote the social and economic progress of the Asia-Pacific region. It now has 58 member countries - 42 from within the region and 16 non-regional. ADB gives special attention to the needs of the smaller or less-developed countries, and to regional, subregional, and national projects and programs. Promoting sustainable development and environmental protection is a key strategic development objective of the Bank. (See also about environment.) To fulfill this objective, the Bank (i) reviews the environmental impacts of its projects, programs, and policies; (ii) encourages DMC governments and executing agencies to incorporate environmental protection measures in their project design and implementation procedures, and provides technical assistance for this purpose; (iii) promotes projects and programs that will protect, rehabilitate, and enhance the environment and the quality of life; and (iv) trains Bank and DMC staff in, and provides documentation on, environmental aspects of economic development. The Asian Development Fund (ADF) is the concessional lending window of the Bank. Action programmes, strategies and research South Asian Co-operative Environment Programme, SACEP The South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme Strategy and Programme (1992Ð96) comprises 15 priority areas, including capacity building and awareness raising; systematic information exchange and intraregional technology transfer; training on environmental management and institutional development; management of mountain ecosystems, watersheds, and coastal resources; and wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation. Small Island Developing States Network The SIDSnet was initiated as a follow up to the Barbados Programme of Action from 1994. It was recognised that all islands share common issues and SIDSnet was initiated with UNDP Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). At present, 41 small island developing States and territories are included in the monitoring of the progress in the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action. These states and territories often work together through the AOSIS, which also includes some small low-lying coastal States. The General Assembly convened a Special Session on SIDS in 1999. UNEP Regional Seas Programme The Regional Seas Programme was initiated in 1974 as a global programme implemented through regional components. The Regional Seas Programme is UNEP's main framework in the field of the coastal and marine environment. It includes 14 regions and three partner seas, involves more than 140 coastal states, and focuses on sustainable development of coastal and marine areas. Each regional action plan is formulated according to the needs and priorities of the region as perceived by the Governments concerned. Regional conventions are in place for several areas. See a map of all regional seas, and go to more information on the Black Sea, Wider Caribbean, Mediterranean, East Asian Seas, South Asian Seas, Eastern Africa, Kuwait Region, North West Pacific, Red Sea And Gulf of Aden, South East Pacific, North East Pacific, South Pacific, Upper South West Atlantic, and West and Central Africa. The UNEP Regional Seas web site also contains information on What's at stake, Major threats, and Actions. State of the regional environment GEO 2000 State of the Environment: Asia and the Pacific Global Enviroment Outlook 2000. GEO is: a global environmental assessment process, the GEO Process, that is cross-sectoral and participatory. It incorporates regional views and perceptions, and builds consensus on priority issues and actions through dialogue among policy-makers and scientists at regional and global levels. GEO outputs, in printed and electronic formats, including the GEO Report series. This series makes periodic reviews of the state of the world's environment, and provides guidance for decision-making processes such as the formulation of environmental policies, action planning and resource allocation. Other outputs include technical reports, a web site and a publication for young people. GEF Projects in the region Projects under implementation UNDP - GEF - Biodiversity: Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biodiversity of Socotra Archipelago, Yemen The focus of the project will be the development and implementation of a management plan which will integrate conservation and sustainable use of the outstanding endemic biodiversity of Socotra Archipelago, with development objectives. This project will work closely with a UNDP Country Programme project focussing on social development and basic infrastructure for the local communities. Project concepts in the pipeline UNDP - GEF - Biodiversity: Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity Associated with Coral Reefs in the Maldives The goal of the project is to work with island communities to identify and sustainably remove threats to biodiversity in selected atolls. UNDP - GEF - Biodiversity: Protection and Management of Pakistan Wetlands The project will strengthen the capacity to protect selected wetland ecosystems, to ensure sustainable human development maximizing ecological and economic benefits. Other actors and initiatives South Asian Forum on Environmental Cooperation between the Government and the Private Sector The Forum is designed to promote the following objectives: At National level: Increased dialogue between Government and Private sector on environment and development; At Regional level: Increased cooperation between Governments and private sectors of South Asian Countries to exchange information; Promotion of South-South exchange of environmental technology and management; Strengthening programme synergy and coordination among UN and other organizations in the field of environment in South Asia; At Global level: To strengthen networking with private sector institutions outside the region Formulating South Asian inputs to the 2000 Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific, to be held in Japan in September, 2000. International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management, ICLARM An international research organization "devoted to improving the productivity, management and conservation of aquatic resources for the benefit of users and consumers in developing countries". ICLARM is one of the research centres of CGIAR, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. See, for example, Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Project: The Role of Marine Protected Areas in Fisheries Management and Biodiversity Conservation in Coral Reef Ecosystems. ICLARM, in collaboration with the the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other partners, and with support from the European Commission, has also developed FishBase, a global information system on fishes for research scientists, fisheries managers, zoologists and many more. FishBase contains full information on 23,500 species. Furthermore, ICLARM has developed similar systems on coral reefs and their resources (ReefBase) and management of fish stocks in Asia (TrawlBase). International Coral Reef Initiative, ICRI An environmental partnership that brings stakeholders together with the objective of sustainable use and conservation of coral reefs for future generations. ICRI is an informal mechanism that allows representatives of over 80 developing countries with coral reefs to sit in equal partnership with major donor countries and development banks, international environmental and development agencies, scientific associations, the private sector and NGOs to decide on the best strategies to conserve the world's coral reef resources. Coral Health and Monitoring Programme, NOOA The mission of the NOOA Coral Health and Monitoring Program is to provide services to help improve and sustain coral reef health throughout the world. Long term goals:Establish an international network of coral reef researchers for the purpose of sharing knowledge and information on coral health and monitoring.Provide near real-time data products derived from satellite images and monitoring stations at coral reef areas. Provide a data repository for historical data collected from coral reef areas. Add to the general fund of coral reef knowledge.See also Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, GCRMN. The Arabian Sea - a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) A Large Marine Ecosystem, LME, is a "region of ocean space encompassing coastal areas from river basins and estuaries to the seaward boundary of continental shelves and the seaward margins of coastal current systems. It is a relatively large region characterized by distinct bathymetry, hydrography, productivity, and trophically dependent populations." See also Rhode Island University map of LMEs.