Information & Meetings
	Conferences & Events
	'Water for Health' is theme for World Water Day 2001
	New Coastal Publications
	Vacancy

Organisations
	New hyperlinks to websites

Environment
	European Environment Agency welcomes new coastal members
	Helsinki Commission initiates project to safeguard maritime transport
	New GEF Report highlights Renewable Energy Markets in developing countries

Policy
	Commission adopts emergency measures for recovery of cod stocks
	EU environmental index aims at establishing 'name, fame and shame policy'

Events recently announded

'Water for Health' is theme for World Water Day 2001

The ninth World Water Day (WWD) is celebrated on March 22, its central theme being Water for Health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the lead agency for the day for the first time. Aims of this annual event include addressing problems related to drinking water and increasing the awareness of the importance of conservation, preservation and protection of water resources. The first WWD was initiated in 1993 by a United Nations General Assembly's resolution, declaring every year's 22 March as the 'World Day for Water' and inviting the world to devote this day to activities that will promote water conservation and sustainable management of water resources. Having picked Water for Health as the central theme, the aim of WWD 2001 is to address the increasing need for adequate and safe water to enhance and protect the world's health situation. A special website, launched by the WHO in collaboration with the IRC International Water and Sanitation Center, will feature extensive information from around the world on WWD activities. A WHO report on the vital links between adequate clean, safe water and health, poverty alleviation, well being and overall sustainable development will be presented on March 22.
More information can be found at http://www.worldwaterday.org, http://www.irc.nl/products/advocacy/wwd/, http://www.unesco.org/science/waterday2000/origin_wwd.htm, http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health

Please note:
The overview of the Coastal Guide conference and event  meeting list can be found at http://www.coastalguide.org/meetings/
 

New Coastal Publications

Vacancy
 
Post-Doc position at Cambridge Coastal Research Unit

The Cambridge Coastal Research Unit (CCRU) hopes to be able to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) to join a research team investigating large-scale coastal morphological evolution of the UK East Coast as part of a wider EU project. The successful candidate will be involved in the gathering, processing, and statistical analysis of a wide range of morphological data. Applicants should hold a PhD degree in Physical Geography, Coastal or Marine Science, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related discipline. Experience of numerical modelling and computer programming is expected. A basic knowledge of advanced statistical data analysis procedures, good organisational and communication skills are essential. The post is an up to one year fixed term appointment (start date 1st May 2001 or sooner). RA1A scale, 16,775 - 18,731. The Department hopes soon to be in a position to appoint to this post, depending on final confirmation of funds supporting it.
For further details, see: http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/ccru/CCRU.html
Please send three copies of (i) covering letter, (ii) CV, and (iii) names, addresses, and full contact details of two referees to: Dr I Möller, CCRU, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK. Closing Date: 23rd February 2001. Applications by email will not be accepted. The University of Cambridge is an equal opportunities employer.

New hyperlinks to websites

IAHR International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research Promotes the advancement and exchange of knowledge on water resources, river and coastal hydraulics, risk analysis, energy, environment, disaster prevention, industrial processes

Marine Protected Areas of the United States: provides information on marine protected areas (MPAs) as required by Executive Order 13158. This site, managed jointly by the Departments of Commerce and the Interior, will report on our collective progress in implementing the Executive Order

Wadsis: Demonstrator for a transnational Wadden Sea information service

Check out the other Website Links on the Coastal Guide

European Environment Agency welcomes new coastal members

Agenda 2000, the enlargement program of the EU, has come a step closer with the European Environment Agency (EAA) being joined by 13 new countries later this year, ten of which having coastal areas. This after the European Commission adopted the proposal for enlargement of the EEA last month. Each new member will have equal rights to provide EEA-staff, to win third party contracts and to participate in the EEA's management board. However since all of the new members are still in the phase of being a Candidate Country, they will not have a voting right within the organisation until they have become a full member of the European Union. The EEA, based in Copenhagen aims to establish a seamless environmental information system for Europe. Now, with the European Union opening up to the rest of Europe, the EEA can get a much broader picture of the continent's ecological health. The current EEA members will be joined by Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Turkey. That is, if the EU's Council of Ministers and the countries themselves have ratified the agreements made with the European Commission. Conservation organisations such as the WWF have welcomed the EEA enlargement.
More information about the EEA at: http://www.eea.eu.int

Helsinki Commission initiates project to safeguard maritime transport

According to figures presented at the annual meeting of the Sea-based Pollution Group of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) on 19th of January 2001 in Brussels, the risk for oil spills climbs. Those figures reveal a total of 232 accidents within the Baltic Sea area over a period of 10 years, of which one fifth resulted in oil pollution. Ship accidents and oil pollution can have a devastating effect on the coastal areas of the Baltic States. The high-risk areas where the accidents are concentrated are around port areas and in narrow straits. The probability of ship accidents is closely linked with the safety level of the transportation and route as well as with the construction of the ships involved. A histogram reveals that 75 % of single hull tanker accidents caused oil pollution, whereas the same only was true for 15 % of the accidents involving double hull tankers (see Coastal Guide News No 20). A project launched by HELCOM called "An Updated Assessment to Risk for Oil Spills", plans to compile a reliable maritime transportation inventory in the whole Baltic Sea area and to define probable areas at risk. With the help of computerised modelling techniques, HELCOM hopes to prioritise response actions in real time accidents to protect sensitive sea areas for the benefit of the Baltic Sea area and its people. Project leader Kalervo Jolma from the Finnish Environment Institute says that depending on the results, there might be a need to tailor precautionary measures for each risk zone, for example to reassess the oil spill contingency planning in the nine Baltic Sea States.
Further information: Mr. Thomas Fagö, Chair of Sea-based Pollution Group, thomas.fago@coastguard.se, Mr. Kalervo Jolma, Phone: +358 9 160 4674, Ms. Anne Christine Brusendorff, HELCOM Professional Secretary, anne.christine@helcom.fi. HELCOM hopepage: http://www.helcom.fi

New GEF Report highlights Renewable Energy Markets in developing countries

At a time when energy questions figure prominently on many national agendas, renewable energy markets are set to take off. So concludes a new report on renewable energy by the Global Environment Facility, (GEF), the major source of multilateral funding for renewable energy in developing countries. The text, entitled "Renewable Energy: GEF Partners with Business for a Better World," can bedownloaded from the "What's New" section of the GEF's website at http://www.gefweb.org.
For more information: Hutton Archer, Senior External Relations Coordinator, GEF, E-mail: harcher@worldbank.org

Commission adopts emergency measures for recovery of cod stocks

After having agreed on a conservation strategy with Norway on 24 January (see Coastal Guide News 2/2001) the European Commission has adopted a Regulation for emergency measures to protect spawning cod in the North Sea. These measures set up a temporary controlled area that will be closed to all fisheries likely to catch cod until 30 April 2001. In addition, technical and control rules are established for the pelagic and sandeel fisheries which will be allowed to continue during this period. This package of measures is the first part of a three-stage approach: emergency measures now, additional technical and control measures in spring to protect young cod, and a proposal for a long term multi-annual recovery plan in early June. The immediate objective is to allow as many mature cod as possible to spawn during the period mid-February to the end of April 2001. To this end, the Regulation provides for:

• the temporary closure of a significant area of the North Sea to all fishing gears likely to catch cod · observers will be on board a sample of the vessels engaged in pelagic and sandeel fisheries to check the species composition of these vessels' catches.
• each Member State must provide a list of the vessels allowed to fish under derogation.
• a prohibition on the carrying of trawls of different net mesh sizes on vessels operating under derogation.
• the prohibition for vessels transiting across the controlled area to immerse their fishing gear in the water.

Full press release: http://europa.eu.int/comm/fisheries/news_corner/press/inf01_08_en.htm

EU environmental index aims at establishing 'name, fame and shame policy'

An EU environmental index is to be published this spring, allowing for a comparison of the environmental performance of the 15 member states. This index will enable the European Commission to put pressure on member states to comply with EU regulations by highlighting countries that fail to implement legally binding EU environmental law. Margot Wallstrom, the European Union Environment Commissioner, told Reuters that the proposal for the environmental ranking system was ready and waiting to be published in the spring. The Commission will present the index as an integral part of the EU sustainable development policy. According to Ms Wallstrom, the index will measure energy consumption and moves taken to tackle climate change. By launching the ranking system, the EU aims at establishing a 'name, fame and shame' policy that will add to the pressure on countries to comply with EU regulations, without having to pursue laggard countries through the EU courts. There has, until now, been no formal ranking system to judge the member states' environmental performance objectively.
More information can be found at: http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=9695&newsDate=4-Feb-2001

Deadline for submitting contributions to Coastal Guide News No 4/2001:
Wednesday February 21,  2001

COASTAL GUIDE NEWS is a biweekly newsletter published by the European Union for Coastal Conservation (EUCC) with financial support of Stichting DOEN, the foundation of the Dutch lottery "Postcode Loterij" and the Department of International Nature Affairs of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries. For free subscriptions, comments or contributions to this newsletter, please contact news@coastalguide.org. 

© Articles may be reproduced free of charge with acknowledgement and citation of Coastal Guide News and the URL of the Coastal Guide (http://www.coastalguide.org). The articles of this and previous issues of Coastal Guide News can be found at http://www.coastalguide.org/news

Members of the Coastal Guide News editorial team: Ramon v. Barneveld, Erik Devilee, Irene Lucius, Hanneke Mesters, Guy Monod de Froideville, Albert Salman, Jolanda v.d. Sman, Josefien Wormgoor. 

Established in 1989, the European Union for Coastal Conservation (EUCC) is an association involving the largest coastal network in Europe with 750 members and member organisations in 40 countries. For more information please contact EUCC International Secretariat, POBox 11232, NL-2301 EE Leiden, the Netherlands, tel.: +31-71-5122900, internet: http://www.eucc.nl

© EUCC, 2001