The fourth Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands will give leaders from all types of governments and organizations the opportunity to review progress made toward ocean management goals adopted by the world's political leaders at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Conference organizers said that the goals, which touch on timely issues ranging from loss of marine species, the elimination of destructive fishing practices and the creation of protected marine areas, will be considered in the context of climate change.
The effects of climate change, experts have noted, will have profound effects on ecosystems and coastal populations and are likely to affect most adversely the poorest people in the world. More than half the world's population lives along coasts, and there are 43 small island developing states such as Antigua and Samoa that are particularly dependent on their ocean and coastal resources.
The result of the conference will be a set of policy recommendations for world decision makers on ocean management, said Biliana Cicin-Sain, director of UD's Mangone Center for Marine Policy and head of secretariat for the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Islands.
“We hope to make really substantial progress on what policy steps need to be taken,” she said.
Hosted at UD's Center for Marine Policy, the Global Forum is an organization that fosters cross-sectional dialogue on ocean issues and is planning the April 7-11, 2008, conference in Hanoi, Vietnam.
A Broad Range of Expertise
UD's four visiting fellows from China, Korea and Vietnam are preparing for the conference by conducting research on their various areas of interest. The fellows, hosted by the Center for Marine Policy, include policy specialists, lawyers and a natural scientist. Cicin-Sain said that they have a broad range of research and knowledge of focus areas, from deep-sea habitats to practical solutions for climate change.
“Whether they share scientific knowledge or provide legal insight, each of these fellows brings expertise on the topics we're focusing on and will help shape conversations at next year's conference,” Cicin-Sain explained, adding that two of the fellows are participating in international working groups tasked with preparing reports on their research findings and specific policy recommendations to present at the conference.
The working groups are centered on the conference's three main themes. The first--ecosystem management and integrated coastal and ocean management--will address countries' work toward harmonizing multiple uses of marine ecosystems and resources for the benefit of all stakeholders, including current and future generations. In an integrated approach to ocean management, for instance, an offshore oil development project would take into account the development area's other uses, such as habitat for aquatic wildlife.
The second--climate, oceans and security--will look at communities and ecosystems that are vulnerable to occurrences such as natural disasters or sea level rise. The third theme--governance of marine ecosystems and uses in areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction--will focus on policy issues related to the 64 percent of the ocean that is difficult to manage because it lies beyond the oversight area of any specific government.
“How to manage this area will be the next big (international) negotiation in the next 10 years,” Cicin-Sain said.
Since its formation in 2001, when it held the first Global Conference in Paris, the Global Forum has involved ocean leaders from 93 countries to advance the global ocean agenda. Likewise, Center for Marine Policy researchers have contributed to national and international negotiations on oceans, including annual negotiations at the United Nations. Additionally, Center researchers prepared Delaware's first ever state ocean policy report.
Because they're working with leaders in their field, the fellows say they are excited about what they'll gain from their experiences here. Visiting fellow Gi-Jun Han said he's looking forward to being a part of organizing the international conference as well as learning more about his area of expertise.
“(The) University of Delaware is very famous for marine ocean policy,” said Han, director of Marine Environment Division, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in Korea. “Especially the Mangone Center, especially for integrated coastal management. It's a leader in the world.”
In addition to the work they'll contribute to the conference, as the fellows talk with students, sit in on classes and collaborate with UD researchers, they bring fresh perspectives to the department, Cicin-Sain said. Coming from countries that are leading the way on coastal and ocean issues--China, for example, has the world's first master's program in integrated coastal and ocean management--gives the experts valuable perspectives.
The fellows include:
Gi-Jun Han is involved in two of the working groups that will report their findings and specific policy recommendations at the Global Conference. Han will lead the group on ecosystem management and integrated coastal and ocean management. As he is interested in practical solutions to climate change, he also will lead the working group on climate, oceans and security. Han, who will be at UD for two years and whose resume includes having received a bachelor's degree in law at Kyung Hee University and having worked for the Korean president, also is working with Research Associate Miriam Balgos on a joint research project.
Dong Sung Kim, head of the Marine Ecosystem and Conservation Research Division at the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), will be involved in the working group on ecosystem management and integrated coastal and ocean management. He will be conducting integrated coastal management research with Mangone Center staff and faculty for one year. An expert on deep-sea habitats, Kim has degrees in oceanography from Inha University in Korea and zoology and biological sciences from the University of Tokyo in Japan and is a well-published researcher in several marine policy-related areas.
Qinhua Fang is a visiting fellow from the Environmental Science Research Center at Xiamen University in China. Jointly hosted by the Center for Remote Sensing, Fang will work with Xiao-Hai Yan, Mary A.S. Lighthipe Professor, and Cicin-Sain for one year. Fang received his doctoral degree in environmental science at Xiamen University and most recently took part in research involving hydrological models and environmental impact assessment for coastal reclamation for the Fujian Oceans and Fisheries Bureau. In addition, Fang has published in a variety of areas, including environmental planning and integrated coastal management.
Nguyen Viet Hong is a visiting fellow hosted by University Research Professor Gerard Mangone as part of the United Nations Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Fellowship program. He will be working with Mangone on research related to international law. Hong, a lawyer who is interested in maritime boundary delimitations, received his master's degree in international law at National University (Vietnam) and worked in the Vietnamese government in the Ministry of Transportation.
For more information on the Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy at the University of Delaware, visit [www.ocean.udel.edu/cmp] or e-mail [bcs@udel.edu]. For more about the Global Form on Oceans, Coasts and Islands, visit [www.globaloceans.org].
Article by Elizabeth Boyle
