Latest news updates from IW projects worldwide

Hanoi, Vietnam – PEMSEA has announced the designation of Mr. Raphael P.M. Lotilla as the new Executive Director of the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF).

This map shows the global observations of coral bleaching occurrences combined with NOAA Coral Reef Watch's satellite monitoring products including Sea Surface Temperature, Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly, Bleaching HotSpot and Degree Heating Weeks. These datasets are added into ReefBase Online GIS each month. To view the latest March 2008 maps, click here .

The Serbia Danube River Enterprise Pollution Reduction Project (DREPR) funded the construction of the first three slurry tanks, which commenced recently. Five beneficiaries of the farms-project also received waste handling and spreading equipment.

On 6-8 March 2008, the 6th Focal Points Meeting of CEARAC (Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Center of NOWPAP) has been held in Toyama, Japan. In conjunction with the Focal Points Meeting (FPM), the First Coastal Environmental Assessment Workshop was organized on 7 March.

The Seventh Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Legal Matters will be convened in Ninh Hai, Viet Nam from 12th-14th May 2008. The meeting will follow up the work of the previous meetings of the Task Force, and will review any further outcomes resulting from national consultations regarding alternative instruments and mechanisms for regional marine environmental cooperation in the South China Sea.

The ninth meeting of the UNEP/GEF Regional Working Group on Wetlands will be convened in Taytay, Palawan, Philippines from 6th – 8th May 2008. Important items of business for the Regional Working Group on Fisheries include inter alia: administrative reports and procedures for closure of the Memoranda of Understanding; substantive outputs including publications; adoption and implementation of the National Action Plans; achievements, lessons learnt and plans for completion of demonstration site activities; review of outputs of the wetlands training course and echo-seminars; discussion on implementing SAP and NAPs; and maintenance of the wetlands network beyond the conclusion of the South China Sea Project.

The UNDP/GEP Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Project is inviting stakeholders in China and Korea to participate in the competitions.

The ninth meeting of the Regional Working Group on Coral Reefs will be convened in Belitung, Indonesia, 22nd – 24th April 2008 inclusive. Substantive items of business include: consideration of substantive outputs, including publication, adoption and implementation of National Action Plans; achievement, lessons learnt and plans for completion of demonstration site activities; review of outputs from the coral reef and seagrass training courses and echo-seminars; the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme and National Action Plans on coral reefs; and maintenance of the coral reef network beyond the conclusion of the South China Sea Project.