Protecting the marine and coastal environments of the SCS is crucial, particularly in the face of escalating pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change impacts. [...] 1 Introduction The SCS spans 3.2 million square kilometres, with coasts shared by Brunei Darussalam, the People’s Republic of China (China), Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam.1 Beyond its geopolitical significance, the region is marked by longstanding territorial disputes among some of the countries, adding to its volatility. [...] Following the Informal Workshop on Managing Potential Conflicts in the SCS in 1991, several joint biodiversity projects involving experts and researchers from different countries were undertaken in uncontested areas of the SCS in the early 2000s.13 The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS (DOC) issued in 2002 also emphasises marine environmental protection as a key area for cooperation. [...] For instance, ASEANO, a Norway-funded initiative led by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) Indonesia in collaboration with PEMSEA and AWGCME, employed a multi-stakeholder approach in studying plastic pollution in the Citarum River in Indonesia and the Imus River in the Philippines.19 However, current cooperation modalities primarily. [...] Participants can also observe the community’s waste disposal practices and determine whether the 21 Norway, PEMSEA, NIVA, CSEAS, and ASEAN, The Situation and Causes of Plastic Pollution in the Imus River, Cavite, (2020).
- Pages
- 15
- Published in
- Singapore
