Experts from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russian gathered online at the Expert Meeting 2021 and the 19th Focal Points Meeting of the Data and Information Network Regional Activity Center (DINRAC) on 13 and 14 October 2021 to review the progress of the regional cooperation in marine environmental data and information sharing and explore ways of strengthening the current cooperation.
In the past decade, the NOWPAP Member States have collected the marine environmental data (MED) of eight categories with relevant indicators in the region, including harmful algal blooms, river input pollutants, direct discharge pollutants, waste dumping, atmospheric pollutant deposition, seawater quality and major marine pollutants, sediment and other major pollutants. This Focal Points Meeting reviewed the data collected in the past two years and agreed to continue this work in the upcoming years.
Marine scientists in the region have collected information on endangered and/or threatened species, being one of the cornerstones for biodiversity conservation. The scientists confirmed that 69 species on the IUCN Red List were observed in the NOWPAP region in 2014-2015. In 2017-2017, already 143 species on the IUCN red list were confirmed to be observed in the NOWPAP region through a detailed inventory of databases with biogeographical information of marine species. The research is ongoing, and the meeting of the Focal Points agreed that the Republic of Korea will lead the wok in 2022-2023.
Furthermore, the meeting of the Focal Points agreed to collect information on policies and actions related to blue carbon in the region. A UN report pointed out that the carbon captured through photosynthesis by marine organisms accounts for 55% of the carbon captured every year in the world. It is important to understand blue carbon measurement and standards, trading market system, and human activities' impacts on carbon sequestration in the region.
The meeting also discussed the progress of the DINRAC website, databases, and the Northwest Pacific Regional Node of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML). The meeting reviewed and agreed on the proposed DINRAC work plan and budget for the 2022-2023 biennium.
In the expert meeting held on 13 October 2021, several scientists from China presented topics that include emission peak and carbon neutrality, deep-sea digital mining, marine environment online monitoring and biodiversity analysis tools, and microplastics. Based on these topics, the participants discussed how to expand the scope of DINRAC activities.
