Sea change in South China Sea - Marine Science

Environmental Health Perspectives, Oct, 2001 by John Tibbetts

The South China Sea is one of the most biologically diverse marine ecosystems in the world. That's why the seven Asian nations that border it--Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines--agreed last year to a United Nations Environment Programme/Global Environment Facility (UNEP/GEF) project to reverse environmental degradation trends in the region. Pending final approval, the project would provide $32 million to improve environmental health in the South China Sea region. Half the $32 million is coming from the GEF, and the other half from participating countries and donors.

Rapid economic development and population growth have created significant ecological damage in coastal and marine areas of the seven South China Sea nations. "You've heard of the `East Asian Miracle,' says Alfred Duda, senior advisor on international water issues for the GEF Secretariat. "A part of the East Asian Miracle is rapid development without the environmental aspects being accounted for, and the result is downstream degradation of water and other resources."

At least 270 million people now live along the coastlines of the seven nations, and the coastal population is expected to double over the next 30 years. The primary environmental threats in the South China Sea include mangrove destruction, sewage pollution, exploitive fishing practices, coral reef degradation, and damage to sea grasses and wetlands.

Almost 70% of the region's mangrove forests have disappeared in the past 50 years due to destructive shrimp farming practices, overlogging, and increased development and tourism, says Hugh Kirkman, coordinator of marine and coastal matters for the East Asian Seas Regional Coordinating Unit, the secretariat of the Coordinating Body of the Seas of East Asia. Large-scale disappearance of coastal mangrove forests has led to sediment erosion, water pollution, and a critical loss of nursery habitat for young fish.

Moreover, an estimated 60% of coral reefs in Southeast Asia have been severely degraded or destroyed. In the countries there, some fishermen have used destructive practices to harvest reef fish, such as dropping dynamite and cyanide into the reefs.

Each participating nation will develop pilot programs and devise policy, legal, and institutional reforms to restore damaged resources and protect existing ones. A steering committee will choose three demonstration sites at each of three major habitats: mangrove, coral reef, and sea grass. These sites will explore methods of managing habitats, reducing pollution, and improving or reducing fishing practices that damage the environment. Eventually, information from the pilot projects could be used to establish national legislation to protect coastal and marine resources. But each nation will identify what reforms are needed, and then will propose solutions by adopting a strategic action program. "Not alt nations will agree on doing things a uniform way," says Duda.

Individual governments could eventually choose to protect resources by enacting tougher zoning, performance, and environmental regulations in coastal and marine areas, says Duda. For example, he says, "People could be required to operate shrimp farms further up in a coastal basin, where there would be some extra costs because you'd have to pump salt water from the estuary up the hill. But in this way, the shrimp farm would not interfere with mangroves."

Nations might also decide to apply an additional fee for sewage treatment in densely populated areas. These fees could be used to build new or improved sewage treatment plants. "Then clean water can nourish the coastal zone instead of the sewage-laden water that causes disease downstream and pollution affecting biodiversity and fisheries," says Duda.

In 2000, the GEF council approved the first stage of the project. Now UNEP is working out the final details with each country. A revised, completed project document could receive final GEF approval by spring of 2002, says Duda.