Japan, Ministry of the Environment

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.