World Coastal Forum 2025: Conserving Coastal Wetlands
2025 World Coastal Forum and the Conservation of Coastal Wetlands
The World Coastal Forum 2025 was held from 23 to 25 September in Yancheng, China, under the theme “Beautiful Coasts: Ecological Priority and Green Development.” The forum addressed three major agendas: the conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems, the sustainable development of coastal regions, and global dialogue on coastal areas recognized as World Natural Heritage. These discussions were directly linked to the conservation of the Yellow Sea coastal wetlands, shared by China, RO Korea, and DPR Korea. The Yellow Sea, one of the world’s most critical stopovers along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, was highlighted, with RO Korea’s tidal flats already inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the west coast of DPR Korea recognized for its significant conservation potential.
The WCF served as an important platform to showcase achievements in tidal flat management, blue carbon strategies, and low-carbon development, while also presenting cooperative models for the joint stewardship of Yellow Sea wetlands. Importantly, the forum explored how incorporating Korea’s coastal ecosystems into a multilateral conservation framework could open new pathways for peace and ecological diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula.
Dr. Hyun-ah Choi, Senior researcher at Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea (HSF Korea) participated in WCF 2025, building on its engagement at WCF 2023, and shared HSF Korea’s activities on Yellow Sea conservation with partners. Leveraging its experience in regional cooperation, HSF Korea committed to ensuring that ecological priorities are integrated into broader peacebuilding efforts.
As part of the field trip on 23 September, participants visited JinFeng Technology’s Lingang Factory, which is committed to green development. The company brings together expertise in renewable energy, digital-financial innovation, advanced manufacturing and quality systems, and aerospace and offshore wind engineering to drive sustainable, high-end growth worldwide. Notably, its offshore wind turbine models are adapted to local conditions. For example, in the Edo region—where typhoons are relatively mild—these models are specifically engineered to maximize resilience and efficiency. The field trip also included a visit to the Yancheng Yellow Sea Wetlands Museum, which provided valuable insights into the region’s unique ecological heritage and ongoing conservation efforts.
