PRESENTATION

EMECS 7 - ECSA 40 is an international scientific conference which will be held in may 9th-12th 2006 in Caen.
Since 1990, conferences from the EMECS (Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas, Japon) took place in Kobe, Baltimore, Stockholm, Antalya, Awaji and Bangkok (previous conferences).

Conference outline

The seventh EMECS conference will be built upon the general themes of “co-development” and “shared responsibility ”. These two themes encompass the philosophy that the environment belongs to all and it follows therefore that we share responsibility for its sustainable use and protection for the benefit of future generations. A key-element is pluridisciplinarity, particularly building bridges between science, education and socio-economics (conservation, agriculture, fisheries and industry).
The main aim is to encourage cross-linkages between education and policy-making, in this case integrating the management of natural resources and environmental awareness cost-effectively through education and by local participation.

To make the conference fruitful and achieve discussions leading to innovative approaches to the management and of enclosed coastal seas and landscapes throughout the world, it is suggested to start from local issues which will then be placed in a global context. Such a collaborative approach to the sustainable management of natural resources will rely upon :
• Promoting creative ideas and linking people
• Disseminating successful practices, approaches
and projects
• Creating new networks and educational tools
for all sectors
• Taking an international dimension
The conference will look at specific examples of successful restoration and protection efforts in coastal areas and watersheds that impact them.

Plenary Session: European Coastal Seas
Theme: Presentation and discussion of up-to-date scientific knowledge on main European coastal seas:
· The Black Sea
· The Mediterranean
· The North Sea and English Channel
· The Baltic Sea
· The Irish Sea
Co-hosted by ECSA (Estuarine and coastal Science Association) and MEDCOAST
Several quality assessments of marine and coastal environments have been published in Europe in the last decade. Such reports contributed to disseminate scientific knowledge to managers, policy-makers and the larger public. Nevertheless, recent advances in scientific disciplines have rapidly improved the knowledge base and there is a need to define new research themes in the light of new contributions. The need for sharing knowledge at international level has never been greater as pressures on estuaries and coasts and their living and non-living resources continue to mount.
This plenary session will give the opportunity to participants to learn from recent work on the natural variability and the complexity of European coastal ecosystems, particularly in the global context.

Technical Session Themes (oral and poster presentations)
1. Recent advances in coastal marine sciences
Consensus has grown that the scale of change in enclosed coastal seas needs to be evaluated more thoroughly in view of the global change, possibly impacting on long-term strategies for the sustainable development of resources. Robust scientific knowledge is at the basis of informed integrated management. Nevertheless, hyperspecialism threatens coherence in the understanding of the functioning of ecosystem. On the one hand a systemic approach is required in ecology but, on the other hand, nothing can replace focused investigations. This is why communication between scientists from various disciplines is essential. Coastal engineers, biologists, chemists and other scientists need to share their results to the benefit of an enlightened approach to management.
Papers in engineering, ecology, biology, geology, geography and other sciences will be selected according to the novelty of approaches and methods and their interdisciplinary perspective. Priority will be given to papers that present ecosystems as self-organizing, complex and adaptive, taking temporal and spatial scales into account.

2. Ecological quality: concepts and case studies
The theme for initiating a reflection on the ecological quality of enclosed coastal seas can be put as a question:
How may the quality of estuaries and coasts be assessed in order to improve their management, in particular of their natural resources?
The ability of an ecosystem to resist disturbance (including its capacity to assimilate pollution) can be evaluated. Biological indicators are an essential tool for assessing changes in ecosystems. Their use is instrumental to the sustainable exploitation of natural resources. Scientific monitoring is essential in order to master the management of natural resources, but also as a direct contributor to scientific research. The consideration of risks has also an impact on the way management is conceived, leading to adaptive management.
Here two types of papers will be expected:
Scientific papers helping to understand what ecological quality is, and papers dealing with policy-making to help achieving it, including risks assessment and adaptive management.

3. New concepts and innovative experiences in coastal management
Emphasis is placed here upon the necessity to apply management tools to riverine watersheds in continuity with estuarine and other coastal areas and coastal seas. The use and application of Ecological Quality Objectives, economic tools and mathematical models are examples of how the exploitation of living resources can be tested and organized. In this framework, uncertainty needs to be tackled. In particular, processes need to be developed in order to deal with environmental and natural resources management which maintain flexibility and allow redirection if necessary. An example of relevant concepts consists in “working landscapes” (that fuses natural features, historical importance and current lifestyles), introduced at EMECS 6, in 2003 in Thailand.
It is hoped that under this heading, conceptual and practical integrative management and economic tools and legislation will be demonstrated and proposed for a wider use. Case studies from all around the world will support this view.

4. Co-management and community involvement: Sustainability and awareness to environmental issues
Research and management challenges need to be addressed at local level. There is an obvious need for educational systems (including universities) to reflect on such fundamental issues but also to open themselves to citizens. Governance refers to the systems by which organizations are run and the laws, regulations and best practice with which they are required to comply. Sound governance is increasingly being recognized as the foundation for sustainable development. Through governance, all nations’ stakeholders receive the same treatment, and have the same voice and the same right to information. Whoever they are, scientists, officials, voters, investors or taxpayers, their rights are protected. Solidarity and partnership require to be supported by open minded and flexible non-governmental organizations (NGOs) allowing all parties to participate equally in the process with a view to achieving sustainable development. Education is an integral part of the strategy to improve environmental awareness. Interacting with the environment and with the rest of the community is an essential aspect of raising awareness and make citizens part of the decision-making process.
It is expected that papers promoting and demonstrating any sort of community involvement will be submitted under this heading. The accent will be put on the sustainable use of resources. Papers relating to such an approach by NGOs and other organizations will be welcome.

5. Networking and 21st century education: The communication challenge.
New technologies, especially information and communication tools provide a novel opportunity to centre education onto the needs of local communities and the broader public. Contrasted with traditional resources for education in the environmental sciences, the Internet offers a multiplicity of learning pathways and access to a vast - but transient - information pool. Using such new fast developing opportunities, high quality provisions need to be proposed to a wide range of community groups, with the aim to let them know their local environment better and be aware of other communities’ needs and potentials By acting as reflective practitioners with a primary concern for the quality of teaching and learning, educators should be best placed to make appropriate and informed decisions to utilize the full potential of the World Wide Web and to encourage students’ own development as skilled and thoughtful learners.
Where a top-down approach has failed, new technologies may offer an excellent opportunity to work within a flat organizational system. Any experience in that sense will be expected to be reported under this theme, together with plans for developing a more convivial use of GISs, e-technology and e-learning. Papers on new technologies will be expected to prolong the reflection on education well into policy-making and socio-economics.

Special Session Themes

Special Session I: Asia-Pacific Coast Session (May 10)
Theme: Quality status of the Asia-Pacific coast
Co-hosted by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) and the International EMECS Center
The coastal environment in the Asia and Pacific region is, and will continue to be, under tremendous pressure this century, because this region has the highest population growth, and is undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization. Coastal zones are the centers of human activities, while, at the same time, they also form a huge variety of productive ecosystems of wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, etc. Therefore, it is urgent that appropriate measures be taken by national governments, local governments, local communities, business enterprises and NGOs to ensure coexistence of the natural environment and human activities towards sustainable development in coastal zones. This can be achieved through acquisition and exchange of scientific knowledge and management experiences to identify the current problems, prevent their adverse impacts, and develop relevant management strategies.
The International EMECS Center and the Asia-Pacific network for Global change Research (APN) have jointly organized special forums and sessions in the past EMECS conferences to promote such activities. As an outcome from such efforts, the International EMECS Center has been busy drawing up “the Synthetic Environmental Assessment on the Asia Coast”, an environment white paper, proposed at the Asia Forum of EMECS 5 in Kobe, Japan. At EMECS 6 in Bangkok, Thailand, a special session entitled “the Asia-Pacific forum” convened, where the coastal research activities of APN and EMECS were introduced, with a summary report produced. At EMECS 7, the major authors involved in APN and EMECS research activities will present their recent synthesis outputs as a follow-up to their joint efforts:
· APN Synthesis Book, “New Directions in global Change Coastal research of the Asia-Pacific region”
· EMECS Synthesis Book, “Asian-pacific Coasts and their Management: State of the environment”

Special Session II: Students and Schools Partnerships (May 11)
Will include delocalized sessions in local schools and institutes and study tour.
Theme: Participation of young people in the management of enclosed coastal seas.
Hosted by EMECS and Caen la Mer
Restoration programs in several coastal seas areas have increasingly involved expanded public education and participation as a fundamental strategy. Environmental education was clearly demonstrated as a key to the co-development of coastal areas at EMECS 6, held in Thailand in November 2003. Young people, in particular from high schools, are the best custodians of the future and an essential component of local communities.
The main challenge today is ‘to get young people off the sidewalk into the grass’ but it is difficult to relate the environment to young people because they might be afraid of it, because of pollutions of all kinds. Generations should not be separated but should work together, with collaborative approaches between primary and secondary schools and universities. In order to produce a fruitful interaction between pupils of various levels, facilities, materials and infrastructures should be well developed and relevant (from direct contact with marine organisms to the use of high technology). Moreover, the children psychology should be well understood and teaching should provide opportunities to all. Based on a scientific approach, environmental education should be student-centered and well-rooted in the regional culture. Community participation - to make it a success - can cover many aspects (history, economics, law, math in liaison with chemistry and biology). Putting the curriculum in context and in harmony with local conditions (ecological and societal) will need a change in most administrative frameworks and reforming of practice in most countries. Working with and within communities is the key. Universities will have to open themselves and act as an interface between research and citizens. EMECS will help to establish this new kind of relation.
The experience initiated in Thailand of bringing students together from around the world will be extended. It is hoped that delegations from France, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Japan, Thailand and many more countries will take part in the Forum. Presentations from students and teachers will be given on their experience of dealing with the local environment in a global context, followed by a seminar and a study tour. The study tour will allow participants to deal with concrete environmental challenges and appreciate the importance of the ‘hands on’ experience
Venues will be chosen in local schools, with the possibility to visit local facilities. A trip to places where environmental education is delivered will be proposed to participants. A report from the session will be given to the plenary at the EMECS 7 closing session.