Nature Conservation and Transboundary Cooperation

The workshop was opened by representatives of the Chinese State Forestry Administration, NEASPEC Secretariat and Beijing Forestry University. The first session gave a review about nature conservation and international cooperation in Northeast Asia. Nam Sangmin, Deputy Director of UNESCAP, introduced the status of the implementation of the NEASPEC Nature Conservation Strategy. Two projects – the NEASPEC Tiger and Leopards Project and the NEASPEC Migratory Birds Project - are being implemented since 2014 and aim to strengthen transboundary cooperation and generate further scientific understanding of flagship species and their habitats and to formulate further actions.

The session was then continued by presentations of regional partners from Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, China, Japan and North Korea. Felix Glenk, Project Manager of HSF Korea, gave a presentation on joint projects of HSF and the Ministry of Land and Environment Protection in DPRK, namely on “Wetland Conservation and the Ramsar Convention” and “Migratory Bird Conservation in Rason”. A representative of the Ministry of Land and Environment Protection of the DPRK introduced ongoing efforts in the field of environment conservation.

The second day of the workshop divided the participants into two groups, one focusing on Tiger and Leopard Conservation, and the other on Migratory Bird Conservation. In-depth discussions finalized the workshop and two reports will be published as an outcome. One report on “Conservation and Rehabilitation of Habitats for Key Migratory Birds in North-East Asia” and another one on the “Study on Transboundary Movement of Amur Tiger and Amur Leopards” will be published soon and will include the outcomes of the workshop.

The Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea and UNESCAP jointly work together since 2014, when they co-organized a field survey with a team of international experts at the Rason Migratory Bird Reserve. The Reserve borders China and the Russian Federation, and is adjacent to the Tumen River Estuary. It therefore has a vital role in conservation and transboundary cooperation of the overall Delta habitat. Research and monitoring on migratory birds in the Chinese and Russian territories of the Tumen River Delta indicates that it is a habitat for thousands of migratory birds including globally vulnerable migratory bird species. The field survey has produced the first makings of baseline information of the habitat and that the Reserve offers high quality stopover and breeding habitat, as well as meeting Ramsar criteria as an ‘internationally important wetland’.

The Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea is a member of the East-Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership and is involved in different environmental projects on the Korean Peninsula. Especially in North Korea the HSF tries to promote cooperation and exchange in the field of environment. A project with the Ramsar Secretariat focuses on wetlands, including tidal flats, and its conservation and wise use.