LONDON, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The world faces growing risks to lives and livelihoods unless the international community takes coordinated and decisive action to protect coastal regions, British environmentalist Stanley Johnson said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Nearly half of the global population and economic activity are concentrated within 50 kilometers of coastlines, making these regions vital to global well-being, Johnson said. He warned that threats such as climate change, rising sea levels, marine and plastic pollution, and overfishing are placing immense pressure on coastal ecosystems.

He highlighted China's leadership in addressing these challenges, particularly through the launch of the World Coastal Forum (WCF) in 2023. The inaugural forum, held in Yancheng City, east China's Jiangsu Province, drew over 1,000 participants from 34 countries, including representatives from governments, United Nations (UN) agencies, academic institutions, and businesses.

Johnson said the forum succeeded in focusing global attention on the need for dedicated coastal protection. He praised the initiative as a "brilliant" step, supported robustly by China's central and local authorities, especially Yancheng.

He expressed optimism that the upcoming WCF session, also to be held in Yancheng later this year, would further strengthen international cooperation and policy coordination.

Johnson also pointed out that the WCF aligns with broader international conservation frameworks, such as the World Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan and the objectives of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

He stressed that protecting coastal zones must also involve addressing land-based pollution, particularly plastics, noting that much of the plastic waste that threatens marine life originates inland and flows down rivers to coastal areas.

"A lot of the pollution which the coastal regions have to deal with comes from the fact that plastics have come down rivers into the sea and then impact again on coastal regions. So the absolute effort to deal with plastics has to be linked also with the coastal forum effort," he said.

He also warned that mangroves and other vital habitats are especially vulnerable and require urgent, integrated action. ■