March 2009: The East Asian Seas Region Ministerial Forum, to be held in Manila, the Philippines, from 26-27 November 2009, as part of East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2009, will address climate change adaptation through integrated coastal management (ICM).

The East Asian Seas region is recognized as being highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Many countries of the region are beginning to see and feel the impacts of climate change, such as an increase in the frequency and intensity of tropical storms, resulting in flooding, destruction of property, and loss of lives. There is therefore an urgent need for these countries to systematically adapt to rising sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns.
The Ministerial Forum will discuss how ICM can be systematically applied in addressing adaptation to climate change. Participants will also discuss the formulation of a policy and a regional action agenda for scaling up ICM programmes as an on-the-ground approach to climate change adaptation, particularly among local governments of the region.
The Ministerial Forum is being hosted by the Government of the Philippines, and co-organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Regional Programme on Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA). The high-level gathering will immediately follow the International Conference of the EAS Congress 2009, which is being convened under the theme of “Partnerships at Work: Local Implementation and Good Practices,” at the same venue, from 23-26 November 2009. [EAS Congress Website]