The South China Sea Project, a multi-national environmental protection program conducted in the South China Sea, is "progressing as scheduled," an UN environmental protection official said Sunday.

 

John Pernetta, an official with the United Nations Environment Program, made the remark at Beihai, a costal city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. He said that most of the work in setting up demonstration areas has been finished as scheduled.

 

The South China Sea Project, funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF), is the largest ocean environment protection program in the world, and enjoys the participation of 7 southeast Asian countries, including China.

 

The program started in 2002 and is expected to be completed in 2008, with goals to provide examples to the world in how to protect mangrove, coral reef, costal wetland, ocean animals and plants, and to control pollution sources on shore by setting up a series of demonstration zones.

 

(CRI March 18, 2007)