Tumen River is the largest river of the East/Japan Sea (further East Sea) basin. Sea coast and waters adjacent to the River are amazing with the unique diversity of plant and animal species. This report considers marine area, which is under Tumen River's direct and indirect influence, as well as near-shore waters that can influence the coastal area close to Tumen River mouth.

The given Sector Report provides analysis of the following regional parameters:

The Report concentrates on the following problems:

The main goal of this Report is to set priorities and define measures to conserve and improve quality of environment components (mainly international sea waters) and biodiversity in the coastal area from Khvadan Cape (DPRK) to Razdolnaya river mouth (Russia).

Coastal Sector is directly linked to other sectors of the Project. In particular, it is connected with River Sector by the problem of natural processes occurring in Tumen River mouth and pollution transboundary transport. Transport Corridor Sector includes sea waters and coastal objects of Coastal Sector. Ecological Tourism Sector has a coastal tourism section. There are also links to Migratory Birds Sector, Loss of Habitats Sector, etc.

Coastal Sector is one of the most important sectors in TDA/SAP program. It considers all the main issues related to both coastal and marine area including the problems of environment and biodiversity state. It is the coastal area adjacent to Tumen River mouth where the focus of the Project is situated. It is the marine, coastal and river mouth area, that can be most vulnerable during the Project implementation.

Unfortunately, the political circumstances made also the restriction to collect information of coastal areas from Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Therefore, the satellite images will be used for understanding the coastal phenomena of DPRK. We consider that the eastern coastal areas and offshores of Korean Peninsula including the Tumen River are affected by one natural and oceanographic influences. Rajin Bay is located in the south of Tumen River. The seaports of Rajin and Chongjin can possible output some pollutants from industrial complexes. The Liman Current flows southward along the Russian coastal zone, passing near Peter the Great Bay which indicates that the oceanographic characteristics from this bay can affect to the Tumen River mouth and adjacent coastal zones, maybe the southeast edge of the east coastal areas of Korean Peninsula. In summer time northward currents also exist and may have the same effect and pollutants transport to northern coastal part of Peter the Great Bay.

The coastal area related to the Tumen River mouth and estuary cannot be separated from the coastal zone along the East Sea of Korea (including DPRK) and RF coastal zone (including Peter the Great Bay) due to the characteristics of dynamic movement of water masses, currents and their related components (sediments, pollutants, and ecological responses.)

The narrow but long continental shelf along the RF and DPRK, and Republic of Korea (RoK) are continuously connected from the north to the south, indication the coastal and marine environments cannot be separated each other even though we view the point from the Tumen River areas.

Even though there is limited information from DPRK, we still facilitate some data from scattered publication of DPRK and satellite images. Meanwhile, the countries participating in the Tumen River Project try to persuade scientists and government sector from DPRK participate in the coastal project.