Publication
Focusing on the World Natural Heritage of coastal wetland of Yellow Sea

Picture: © Korean Wetlands Society

Dr. Hyun-ah Choi, a senior researcher at Hanns Seidel Foundation, and Dr. Donguk Han, director of the Korea PGA Ecological Research Institute, have published a research paper on the conservation of the Yellow/West Sea coastal wetland ecosystem in the Journal of Wetlands Research (Vol. 25, No. 3, Aug 2023). HSF Korea works hard to preserve the Yellow/West Sea Wetlands.

This research paper highlights the significance of wetland ecosystems and the crucial role of Yellow/West Sea mudflats in the current climate change crisis. Wetland ecosystems contribute significantly to carbon storage and climate change mitigation, and the Korean southwest coast mudflats are internationally recognized as an important ecosystem. They have been listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The paper also mentions the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an international agreement to protect species that move across national boundaries. However, both Koreas and China have not joined the agreement yet, emphasizing the need for the three countries to work together to strengthen the conservation of ecosystems in the Yellow/West Sea mudflats and other regions. The paper also highlights the importance of protecting the global environment and collaborating on conserving the habitat of mobile waterfowl that crosses political boundaries. Such cooperation is essential in promoting the UNESCO World Heritage listing. Finally, the paper emphasizes the need for further research on various environmental protection programs.

HSF Korea will participate in a working group meeting for Yellow/West Sea Tide and Related Coastal Wetlands Conservation later this month. This meeting is part of their continued efforts to conserve the Yellow/West Sea wetlands.

You can find the research paper here.