The distinctive advantageous use of radioisotope technology for assessing and responding to environment pollution, in particular to marine environment contamination, has been well recognized by the PEMSEA international conference held in Haikou, China in 12-16 December 2006.

The RCA Regional Office (RCARO), on behalf of RCA, co-convened a seminar jointly with the PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) on 'Radioisotope Technology for Coastal and Ocean Management' on 13 December 2006 at the People's Assembly Hall at Haikou, Hainan Province in China. This was regarded as the first occasion that RCA has organized an international seminar on the use of nuclear technology together with an international development organization. The seminar was so organized as part of RCARO's role to promote understanding about RCA's capability and potential.

The seminar which was held in conjunction with the 2006 East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress, supported by IMO/GEF/PEMSEA, highlighted application of nuclear technology for assessing and responding to marine environment contamination. Presentations by the experts from the RCA Member States (AUL, PHI, INS) together with RCARO and IAEA-MEL (Marine Environment Laboratory in Monaco) reiterated that nuclear techniques allow accurate and specific validation of contaminant transport model which is otherwise not often or not well done.

The participants in the seminar shared the view that accurate model validation is extremely important. They also recognized that IAEA/RCA is playing an important role in capability development and regional cooperation. Participants in the IAEA/RCA Environment Project on 'Improving Regional Capacity for Assessment, Planning and Response to Aquatic Environmental Emergencies' (RAS/8/095, PLCC: Dr Ron Szymczak of AUL) had the opportunity to attend at the seminar.