Events

This event is open to everyone joining ADEX — industry and consumers.

Asia Dive Expo (ADEX) 2023

Sustainable Diving Dialogue: Transforming your business for a Blue Economy

Sunday, 2 April | Time: 12:00-13:00 hrs (UTC/GMT+8)

Underwater360 Main Stage (Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore)

Overview

Side Event: 10th Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development

29 March 2023, 17:15-18:30 GMT+7 (Bangkok time)
Meeting Room A, 1st floor, United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok, Thailand

Organizers
The Government of Republic of Korea, Secretariats of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) [administered by United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP]

Land-based marine pollution, including nutrient waste, sediments, and wastewater, is one of the most significant threats affecting the East Asian Seas (EAS). Agriculture, aquaculture, domestic and industrial waste contribute to the marine pollution problem in the region. Marine pollution not only alters the integrity of the environment but also has detrimental effects on human health. While all EAS countries implement governing policies to reduce pollution, there remain gaps to effectively address the issue, including monitoring, awareness and capacity, and enforcement.

Date: March 1-3

Location: Bangkok, Thailand and Online

Venue: United Nations Conference Center

Based on the earlier Desk Study on Nutrient Pollution, the COBSEA Secretariat has drafted a strategy and action plan on reducing nutrient pollution for the seas of East Asia, based on a quantitative analysis of modeled nutrient sources and impacts. This draft will be presented for guidance by COBSEA participating countries through an interactive webinar on 27 September 2022.  This draft plan is tentatively entitled “Reducing Nutrient Excess in Watersheds and Seas of East Asia” or Plan RENEWSEAS.

The second informal consultation continues to develop the framework for COBSEA’s work on marine and coastal ecosystems in the East Asian Seas. Participating countries are invited to present their feedback on the draft framework, share their national priorities, and provide extensive recommendations that should be included in the framework at the regional and national levels.

COBSEA Secretariat, in collaboration with Plastic Fischer and Ocean Conservancy, will host a side event for the UN-DESA organized 7th Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals. All side events will be related to the forum’s theme, Science, Technology and Innovation for building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Under the SEA circular project, the COBSEA Secretariat and the National University of Singapore (NUS) are holding a regional consultation with focal points of the COBSEA Working Group on Marine Litter (Cambodia, People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Viet Nam) and national stakeholders.

COBSEA Secretariat and CSIRO will organize consultations to identify country needs, existing frameworks and existing project outputs where available.

The COBSEA Secretariat is organizing a regional webinar on a draft situational analysis of MPAs in the EAS region, to be presented by a team of MPA consultants. COBSEA participating countries are invited to provide comments and inputs towards the finalization of this draft situational analysis. The Webinar will, inter alia, serve as a platform for feedback and information-sharing between COBSEA participating country representatives and MPA consultants, and consolidate the work of the COBSEA Secretariat on Marine Protected Areas.