Event
2023 World Coastal Forum

Yancheng, China is home to the largest coastal wetland on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, the largest coastal wetland on the edge of the Asian continent, and the vast lake wetlands along the Lixia River. The Yancheng coastal wetlands are of global significance for migratory birds, and in recognition of this, they were designated as China's first coastal natural World Heritage Site and are renowned for their natural beauty and biodiversity.

The World Coastal Forum was launched in 2022 to encourage and support multi-stakeholder approaches to strengthen the protection, conservation and restoration of the world's coastal ecosystems for the long-term benefit of humans and biodiversity. The Forum focused on four main themes  "Addressing governance in coastal wetland conservation and protection", "Promoting coastal security and best practices", "Measures for sustainable development of coastal areas", and "Raising awareness and engaging stakeholders in coastal ecosystem protection". The multi-stakeholder forum also served as a platform for sharing information to protect, conserve, sustainably manage and restore the world's coastal ecosystems.

At the opening ceremony, invited speakers referred to the harmony of nature and emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation so that people can live as part of nature. In addition, the WCF Global Partnership Initiative to Improve Coastal Ecosystems was officially launched with the participation of 21 organizations, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (ICUN), ICLEI, and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP). Dr. Hyun-A Choi, Senior Researcher at the HSF Korea, also participated in the WCF and shared information with experts.

Since 2015, the HSF Korea has been working on various activities and projects to conserve the coastal wetlands of the Yellow/ West Sea, including the ICUN and EAAFP cooperation agreement.