Integrated Coastal Zone Management

To promote the assessment and development of non-living marine resources in the region, a study of the potential for development of offshore sand and gravel as construction materials in East Asia was conducted recently. It noted that at present, nearly 99% of the world's construction sand and gravel is produced from land sources, but that increased land values, depleted land resources and environmental constraints may push producers towards using marine resources in the near future. Already in the late 1980s approximately 40% of Japan's domestic demand for sand was satisfied from marine sources.

A Workshop on Review of the Mineral Resource Potential of North-East Asia was conducted recently in Changchun, China. As part of the follow-up, MRS is proposing an Expert Group Meeting on the Application of GIS Techniques for the Comprehensive Assessment of Mineral Resources in North-East Asia, with the aim to strengthen the institutional capacities of the sub-region in all aspects of mineral resource assessment, including geological, economic and EIA data.