Japan, Ministry of the Environment

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are seen as a response to many societal challenge. It is becoming increasingly obvious that protected and conserved areas (PCAs) are a major vehicle for NbS and essential to their success in many situations.

Globally, disasters due to natural hazards takes an enormous toll in terms of human lives, destruction to crops and livelihoods, and economic losses. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has therefore become a critical part of sustainable development strategies. Over the past decades, the role of healthy ecosystems in providing cheap, reliable protection against natural hazards has been increasingly recognized.

Globally, disasters due to natural hazards takes an enormous toll in terms of human lives, destruction to crops and livelihoods, and economic losses. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has therefore become a critical part of sustainable development strategies. Over the past decades, the role of healthy ecosystems in providing cheap, reliable protection against natural hazards has been increasingly recognized.

Between the 13th and 17th of November 2013, some 800 participants from 40 countries gathered at the Sendai International Center, Sendai city, Japan, to attend the first ever Asia Parks Congress (APC).

This paper outlines the progress of the East Asian region towards the goals adopted in the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA) and in the implementation of the Regional Action Plan for the Protected Areas of East Asia (RAP); findings of which arose from the East Asia workshop on implementation of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas (CBD PoWPA), the ‘East Asia workshop’.

The tsunamis of Sunday 26 December 2004 struck without apparent warning on a clear day. Not only was there a devastating loss of life, but coastal resources and infrastructure in the Indian Ocean suffered massive destruction as well. This book focuses on the impacts on the natural coastal resources, especially the coral reefs and associated ecosystems, and the responses by the international community.