On 12th April 2023, the Source to Sea Pollution Unit from the Ecosystems Division of UNEP held a bilateral meeting with the NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) to explore opportunities to enhance cooperation on pollution prevention. During the meeting, the Source to Sea Pollution Unit provided an update on their ongoing activities related to nutrient management, the progress of the working groups on sustainable nitrogen, and the development of regional action plans on nutrients in various geographical regions. The head of the group also shared their thoughts on improving the digital platform on marine litter and the possibility of including nutrient-related content.
The NOWPAP RCU updated colleagues on the progress in nutrient research and development in the region. In particular, the highlights included the following: the NOWPAP Special Monitoring and Coastal Environment Assessment Regional Activity Center (CEARAC) had established databases on harmful algal blooms (HAB) and conducted several studies on HAB, CEARAC had also developed the NOWPAP Eutrophication Assessment Tool (NEAT) and published a paper on Nature Communications in 2021. Also, the NOWPAP Pollution Monitoring Regional Activity Center (POMRAC) has developed regional ecological quality objectives to specify targets aligned with the indicators for ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among these objectives, they had set a target that "the Nutrient concentrations in the water column within the designated area do not exceed baseline values or national standards." Finally, the third edition of the State of Marine Environment in the NOWPAP Region is under development.
The two offices discussed how to promote nutrient-related work at the global level based on the achievements of NOWPAP and how to introduce the NOWPAP Eutrophication Assessment Tool to other regions. They also agreed to enhance cooperation among NOWPAP, COBSEA, and the Source to Sea Pollution Unit through the involvement of a UNV.
