With the support of Governments of PR China and RO Korea, and in collaboration with UNDP, GEF, UNOPS, and various partner organizations, the YSLME Phase II Project launches the updated Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) for the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem.
Since 2002, UNDP/GEF has been facilitating cooperation between PR China and RO Korea to identify environmental priorities and agree upon governance reforms and investments to address various challenges in the Yellow Sea through the TDA and Strategic Action Program (SAP) processes. These actions are consistent with the UNDP 2014-2017 Strategic Plan for the effective maintenance and protection of natural capital, and the 2018-2021 Strategic Plans to address complex and interconnected challenges such as shocks from crises, economic stagnation, inequality and poverty, and climate change through nature-based solutions for a sustainable planet.
In the past decade, the YSLME SAP, finalized in 2009, has been implemented at regional (LME-wide), national, subnational and local or community level with substantial ecological, social and economic benefits. These actions have yielded good practices and on-the-ground results, including: reduction in fishing efforts measured by decrease in the number of fishing vessels and increase in body sizes of capture fisheries landings, successful scaling-up of integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA), and increase in number and expansion of marine protected areas, among others. YSLME SAP has also proven to be a useful platform for enabling a wide range of innovative partnerships across governments, UN agencies, business associations, non-government organizations (NGOs), and academia.
The YSLME TDA 2020 reflects the strong commitments of PR China and RO Korea and other partners in sustaining the science-based LME approach and joint solutions in support of the achievement of SDG 14 targets – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
The concrete scientific findings of the TDA provided an integral basis in the updating of the YSLME Strategic Action Programme (SAP) 2020-2030. The draft updated SAP, which will guide the future course of interventions in the YSLME, is scheduled for review at the 5th Meeting of the Interim Commission Council (ICC-5) of the UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase-II Project on October 19, 2020.
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