"For the human society, coastal areas are an important interface between terrestrial and sea-based activities. Not by coincidence, a vast majority of the global population is concentrated along this interface; it is estimated that about 55% of the world's population lives in coastal areas.

Our society is heavily dependent on coastal resources, often leading to intense competition for these resources between various activities like food production and provision, urban development, transportation, recreation and waste disposal. At the same time, it is ironic that about half of the world's coastal ecosystems face threats to their existence as a result of human activities.

Comprehensive strategies for protection of the coastal environment and sustainable use of their services are needed to meet these challenges. These strategies must span and integrate with national, regional and international policy frameworks. It is equally important to involve communities as well as the full range of stakeholders in coastal management.

The United Nations University (UNU) has played a significant role in research and capacity development on coastal issues through promotion of education, research and awareness-raising. The UNU has developed a complementary approach to existing work on the coastal environment, identifying outstanding areas of need and focusing projects within those areas.

One of the most significant contribution of UNU's work is the capacity development of research and scientific institutions in the East Asian region to undertake coastal water pollution monitoring. This effort has helped the institutions in understanding the extent of pollution coming to coastal areas from land-based sources. The findings from this monitoring programme have raised awareness among the general public about coastal pollution and its sources while influencing national policies to manage the coastal pollution.

Zafar Adeel is an Academic Programme Officer in the ESD Programme at the UNU Headquarters.

He has experience in a variety of environmental issues, including water quality and pollution issues, water and natural resource management in dry areas, modeling of environmental systems and environmental policy development.

By training, Dr. Adeel is an environmental engineer with post-graduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Iowa State University. "