* An event named “Flying Beyond Boarders: Conserving the Yellow Sea Tidal Flats through Transboundary Cooperation on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway” was organized on July 25, 2026, in Busan, Republic of Korea.
* The event was supported by the Korea Heritage Service and co-hosted by the World Heritage Promotion Team of Korean Tidal Flats, World Coastal Forum (WCF), Yancheng Wetland and Natural World Heritage Conservation and Management Centre, and UNESCO, in partnership with IUCN and the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP).
* The event fostered dialogue on strengthening transnational cooperation for the conservation of the Yellow Sea tidal flats and the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF).
* The shared tidal flats of the Yellow Sea are shared by China, the DPRK, and the ROK.
* These tidal flats link the migratory journey of waterbirds along the EAAF from Arctic breeding grounds to wintering areas in southern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
* More than half of these critical ecosystems have been lost due to coastal development over the past 50 years.
* The Yellow Sea includes two World Heritage properties: ‘Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China’ (China) and ‘Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats’ (ROK).
* The DPRK also recently added ‘Coastal Wetlands in the West Sea of Korea of the DPRK’ to its Tentative List.
* These areas are recognized through designations such as the EAAFP Flyway Site Network and Ramsar Sites.
* A statement, the ‘Busan Statement on Cooperation for the Conservation of the Tidal Flats and Coastal Wetlands of the Yellow Sea’, was announced by Dr. Huh Min.

A side event titled “Flying Beyond Borders: Conserving the Yellow Sea Tidal Flats through Transboundary Cooperation on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway” was held on July 25, 2026, during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea. The event involved co-hosting by several entities, including the Korea Heritage Service and the World Heritage Promotion Team of Korean Tidal Flats, World Coastal Forum (WCF), Yancheng Wetland and Natural World Heritage Conservation and Management Centre, and UNESCO, in partnership with IUCN and the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP). The event fostered dialogue among national and local governments, site managers, experts, and international organizations regarding strengthening transnational cooperation for conserving the Yellow Sea tidal flats and the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.
The Yellow Sea tidal flats are a shared ecosystem between China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and the Republic of Korea (ROK), serving as a vital link in the migratory journey of waterbirds along the EAAF from Arctic breeding grounds to southern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and supporting local livelihoods. These areas encompass World Heritage properties such as the ‘Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China’ (China) and ‘Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats’ (ROK), along with the ‘Coastal Wetlands in the West Sea of Korea of the DPRK’. These regions are also recognized by designations like the EAAFP Flyway Site Network and Ramsar Sites.
The discussions emphasized the need to enhance synergies between various conservation designations and existing cooperation mechanisms like the EAAFP and WCF. A statement titled the ‘Busan Statement on Cooperation for the Conservation of the Tidal Flats and Coastal Wetlands of the Yellow Sea’ was announced by Dr. Huh Min, the Administrator of the Korea Heritage Service, reaffirming shared commitments to future action in line with the principle of collaboration recognized as the sixth 'C' for World Heritage implementation.

The structure of this event reveals a strategic attempt to operationalize abstract conservation goals—specifically the 'Collaboration' principle of the World Heritage Convention—into tangible, transboundary action on the ground. The convergence of UNESCO, regional bodies like EAAFP, and specific site management groups suggests that effective conservation hinges less on national mandates and more on functional cooperation across shared ecological systems.
The focus on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway highlights a critical tension: the interdependence of migratory routes and habitat preservation versus the fragmentation caused by geopolitical divisions and rapid development. The fact that designated sites span three distinct political entities—China, Korea, and the DPRK—underscores how environmental assets function as crucial conduits for peace-building. This framing suggests that ecological stewardship is not merely a technical matter but an intrinsic component of security and diplomatic engagement.
The resulting ‘Busan Statement’ acts as a mechanism to translate this high-level recognition into concrete, actionable follow-up, shifting the dynamic from mere acknowledgment of loss to a framework for coordinated management. The underlying pattern suggests that when shared environmental assets are framed through international cooperative mandates, the potential for localized political friction can be redirected toward synergistic conservation efforts. The implication is that dissolving border complexities in environmental management offers a pathway toward achieving the 'Collaboration' objective by demonstrating that shared biological imperatives supersede narrow political divisions.
Bridge Questions: If transnational cooperation proves to be an effective mechanism for managing shared ecological burdens, what institutional structures would need to be established beyond existing partnerships to ensure consistent long-term funding and enforcement across these disparate jurisdictions? How can the principles of 'collaboration' be operationalized when national development priorities often conflict with agreed-upon conservation timelines? What is the relationship between recognized international designations (like World Heritage) and effective on-the-ground management protocols in areas where sovereignty is contested?