About EMECS
Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas

The International EMECS Center is an organization established for promoting international exchanges on not only coastal but also catchment areas of the enclosed coastal seas in a wide range of fields such as research, policy, civic action, education and industrial activities and so forth to solve the problem on the environmental conservation of enclosed coastal seas in the world such as the Seto Inland Sea, the Chesapeake Bay (USA), the Baltic Sea (Northern Europe), and the Mediterranean Sea (Southern Europe).

The name of the Center is an acronym for Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas. The organization was established in Kobe City, Japan in 1994 after the success of the first and second International Conferences on the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas, and became a foundation under the co-jurisdiction of Japanâ€™s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Environment in 2000.

EMECS is recognized internationally as leader in enclosed coastal sea solutions and management.Â Activities in which scholars, government officials, industry representatives and private organizations work together to solve problems in enclosed coastal seas are often referred to as EMECS activities.

Activities of the International EMECS Center

Gather and make available information pertaining to enclosed coastal seas
Promote the conservation of enclosed coastal sea environments and contribute to the restoration of damaged habitats through training and education
Preserving natural enclosed coastal sea environments and creating new ones
Sponsoring international conferences and promotingÂ international exchanges

Past Conferences:

EMECS 8 â€“ Theme: Harmonizing River Catchment and Estuary
(October 27-30, 2008 | Shanghai, China)

EMECS 7 - Theme: Sustainable Co-development of Enclosed Coastal Seas: Our Shared Responsibility (May 9-12, 2006 | Caen, France)

EMECS 6 - Theme: Comprehensive and Responsible Coastal Zone Management for Sustainable and Friendly Coexistence between Nature and People (November 18-21, 2003 | Bangkok, Thailand)

EMECS 5 - Theme: Toward Coastal Zone Management that Ensures Coexistence between People and Nature in the 21st Century (November 19-22, 2001 | Kobe / Awaji, Japan)

EMECS 4 - Theme: Land-ocean Interactions: Managing Coastal Ecosystems
(November 9-12, 1999 |Antalya, Turkey)

EMECS 3 - Theme: With Rivers to the Sea: Interaction of Land Activities, Fresh Water and Enclosed Coastal Seas (August 11-14, 1997 | Stockholm, Sweden)

EMECS 2 - Theme: Toward Effective Governance of the World's Enclosed Coastal Seas
(November 10-13, 1993 | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.)

EMECS 1 - Theme: Environmental Management and Appropriate Use of Enclosed Coastal Seas
(August 3-6, 1990 | Kobe, Japan)

EMECS 9 Conference Topics

Boat