ABOUT US

Introduction to the Institute

Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies is a non-governmental research institute
that represents civil society dedicated to the environment since 1993,
which has the longest history among others.

Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies is a non-governmental research institute that represents civil society

dedicated to the environment since 1993, which has the longest history among others.

The institute is a platform that brings together experts/activists/citizens in the environmental sector

to discuss major social issues and seek reasonable alternatives, supporting environmental activities.

We aim to be ‘an institute to save citizens, the environment, and lives with science’.

Our major research direction focuses on saving lives,

addressing environmental issues, encouraging citizens’ participation, and seeking alternatives.

Our institute, which marks its 30th anniversary of establishment, has ramped up efforts to protect Nature’s values

and citizens’ lives in various areas. We have engaged in major environmental issues that our society is facing.

That includes launching investigations and finding alternatives regarding environmental destruction resulting

from large-scale national projects such as Siwha Lake project and the 4 major rivers restoration project, identifying

and making agenda of hazardous chemical substance issues initiated from carcinogenic substances stemming

from incinerators, international solidarity for the protection of the Antarctic, basic surveys and policy suggestions

for biodiversity and ecosystem preservation and activities seeking solutions to environmental problems

that are relevant to citizen science. Major studies and active areas are shown below.

  • Surveys and analyses on environmental situations
  • Establishment of mid-to-long term environmental prospects and alternatives
  • Studies on measures that can resolve environmental conflicts
  • Establishment of sustainable local development measures that encourage residents’ participation
  • Presentation of an ecosystem restoration direction
  • Sharing environmental movement experiences and academic exchanges
  • Launching a campaign that urges a transition in environmental policies

Major studies and active areas

Stream policy monitoring and cooperative measure suggestion

01 Major studies and active areas

Bottom-up policy establishment for streams, supports of stakeholders’ decision-making process set-up and surveys on various governance cases centered on streams and communication improvement

02 Supporting the establishment of a safe drinking water policy

A policy monitoring and network activity support for the safety of drinking water

Transparency Improvement in Fisheries

01 Enhanced fishing monitoring: Making every fishing vessel’s fishing information transparent

Making efforts to introduce electronic monitoring within the deep-sea and coastal fishing areas, electronic reporting on fish caught in coastal fishing areas and a fishing vessel location tracking system to increase transparency in fisheries which is a key part in eradicating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing

02 Fisheries management: Minimization of management blind spots

Monitoring, Control and Surveillance system enhancement to root out IUU fishing and pushing for the introduction and implementation of a fishing licensing system and a marine products history tracking system

03 Port State role reinforcement: IUU fishing eradication starts from ports

Monitoring on the government to check whether it is fully implementing ‘Agreement on Port State Measures (PMSA): An international agreement to prevent, curb and eradiate IUU fishing by preventing foreign IUU fish from entering their country

Facilitation of Citizen Science

01 Identifying citizen science cases with the operation of communication platform

Excavation of grass root citizen science cases that are taking place in each site and regular operation of a citizen science forum that spreads the experiences socially to facilitate domestic citizen science

02 Seeking measures to systematize data for citizen science development

Exploring measures to establish and systematize data by designing and operating citizen science projects

MPA(Marine Protected Area) Expansion

01 MPA expansion in the Antarctic and international waters: Based on the rationale that ocean protection is necessary as there is only one ocean and national managements are absent

Activities for MPA expansions in the Antarctic and protection of marine life as a member of the ASOC (Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition) and policy activities to conclude BBNJ (Biological diversity of areas Beyond National Jurisdiction) to protect international waters outside national jurisdiction

02 Expansion of domestic marine protected areas: Making protected areas bigger and protection level higher

Protection and management level improvement for domestic marine protected areas and local connected policy activities for the expansion of marine protected areas

Protection of Marine Mammals

01 Reduction in Incidental catches and prohibition of whale meat distribution and consumption: Neither catch nor eat whale meat

Activities to urge improvement in governmental policies to reduce marine mammal incidental catches and intentional catches related with whale meat distribution and consumption

02 Enactment of Marine Mammal Protection Laws: Uppers laws should be made for the protection of marine mammals

Activities to enact provisional name [Marine Mammal Protection Act] that includes effective protection measures aimed at protecting marine mammals

Prohibition of Harmful Fisheries Subsidies

Monitoring on WTO fisheries subsidies negotiation process to abolish fisheries subsides(oil subsides, etc.) which accelerate the depletion of fishery resources

History

1993

02Establishment of Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies

1998

01Establishment of Daejeon Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies (Daejeon branch)

01Establishment of Water Quality Environmental Center (Changwon branch)

04Establishment of Jeonbuk Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies (Jeonju branch)

1999

12Establishment of Chungbuk Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies (Chungbuk branch)

2003

0210th anniversary of Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies

2013

0220th anniversary of Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies

2017

04Establishment of Gyeongnam Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies (Gyeongnam branch)

2023

0230th anniversary of Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies


(사)시민환경연구소

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