Busan Metropolitan City Government Discusses a Sustainable Maritime Future with East Asian Coastal Cities

[Financial News] Busan Metropolitan City Government announced on the 4th that it will host the '2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG) Forum' at Paradise Hotel Busan for three days starting on the 8th.
PNLG is a local government cooperation network of Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA). It shares policies and experiences for sustainable coastal and marine development and promotes cooperation among local governments.
The city has been a member of PNLG since December 2021 and has been active in the organization. Last May, it was confirmed that the PNLG Forum would be held in Busan.
The forum, held under the theme 'A Sustainable Ocean Future with Coastal Cities,' will be attended by more than 200 people, including delegations from 20 local governments in six countries—South Korea, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste—as well as domestic and international experts in the marine sector.
The event will include an opening ceremony, a joint academic forum, the PNLG General Assembly, and site visits.
The joint academic forum will discuss the expansion of local government-led blue carbon and nature-based solutions (NbS), basin-estuary linkages to strengthen climate resilience, coastal ecosystem restoration, and regional blue economy investment and innovation.
At the PNLG General Assembly on the morning of the 9th, the Busan Declaration will be adopted, reflecting the joint commitment of member local governments.
The Busan Declaration is expected to set out joint action directions for member local governments to address common issues facing coastal cities, such as climate change and marine pollution, and to realize a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient blue economy.
Through the forum, Busan Metropolitan City Government plans to share Busan's marine environmental policies and related field cases with coastal cities in East Asia and develop it into a venue for exchanging experiences and policies on marine issues facing local governments.

[email protected] Kwon Byeong-seok Reporter