This year’s meeting of members of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for The Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Network of Local Governments (PNLG) has resulted in an important document called the Tangerang Initiative.

The collective statement reflects the commitment of PNLG members, as non-state partners in the Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), in implementing the Sustainable Sea Development Strategy in East Asia (SDS-SEA), according to a release posted by PNLG on its official website.

For PNLG members, SDS-SEA with integrated coastal management (ICM) is an effective framework and systematic approach to achieve sustainable development in coastal and marine areas.

Advisor to the Center for Coastal and Ocean Resources Studies (PKSPL), IPB University, Luky Adrianto, said that the Tangerang Initiative released by Tangerang Regent Ahmed Zaki Iskandar would have a positive impact on coastal management in the future.

“This will explain and maintain integrated coastal management knowledge,” the professor of coastal and marine resources observed at the 2022 PNLG Forum in Tangerang district on Wednesday (October 26, 2022).

On a broader scope, Adrianto said he believes that the Tangerang Initiative will strengthen the economic position of coastal areas in East Asia. This is important amid global economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

“The coastal area of this region will be increasingly important,” he added.

Besides promoting the expansion of the scope of PNLG, sharing of knowledge, and improving the effectiveness of coastal and ocean governance, the final part of the declaration states that PNLG members will encourage international organizations, donors, scientific and technical organizations, academia, and the business sector to partner with local governments in their efforts to develop, implement, and continue to improve the ICM program, as outlined in the PNLG Strategic Action Plan 2022–2030.

The charter is important because it will be useful as documentation, serve as the standard for the next periodic forum, and could also guide the direction of progress in the management of coastal and marine environments in the future.

Source: Antara News