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PEMSEA News
Up one levelPEMSEA News chronicles on-the-ground experiences and activities in PEMSEA sites and hotspots. Community-based initiatives, such as mangrove planting, coastal cleanups and waste management, are highlighted in the articles, as well as other workshops, conferences and programs organized or participated in by the Regional Programme.
Sihanoukville Municipality: Balancing Economic Development and Coastal Resources Management through Local Initiatives
In 2005, the Department of Tourism had high hopes for Sihanoukville becoming a prime tourist destination. "We need to get the upper and middle class crowd to visit more often because they're the ones who can pay more for the services. Right now, there are a lot of tourists coming in, but only a few are staying in high-end resorts," expressed then DOT Deputy Director Tang Socheat Kresna. Sihanoukville's only 5-star hotel at that time, the Sokha Beach Resort, was only sparsely occupied. Three years later, investors are scrambling to have a piece of Sihanoukville. With construction all over the municipality - from five-star hotels, flats, ports, bridges - that hope for the municipality may soon become a reality. Land prices are soaring, investments and tourists are pouring in and, construction and more construction is seen everywhere. While the municipal government is cautious about these developments, it cannot be denied that such economic expansion brings hope to many people. For many, more investors mean more jobs and more income.
Sihanoukville Preps Up for 2008 PNLG Forum on Water Management
The Municipality of Sihanoukville in Cambodia is poised to host the 2008 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG) Forum on 19-21 November at the Sokha Beach Hotel. The Forum will discuss critical issues on "Water Resource Protection, Utilization and Management" and will convene more than 80 local executives and technical staff from nine PEMSEA participating countries. It will also be a venue for the directors and staff of the Project Management Offices in ICM sites to discuss the proposed highlights and activities for the next three years of ICM program implementation.
Community-based SGP-PEMSEA Project Crucial in Increasing Crab Catch and Mangrove Rehabilitation in the Province of Chonburi
Halfway through its two-year implementation, the first project of the UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme and PEMSEA Partnership in Thailand is reaping the benefits within the framework of integrated coastal management (ICM).
EAS Congress 2009 to Tackle Environmental Impacts of Coastal Reclamation and Foreshore Management
To cope with the increasing demand for economic space brought on by development and migration to coastal cities, countries in the East Asian Seas region have engaged in coastal reclamation projects and foreshore developments. While a number of developments have been undertaken in the region, their impacts particularly on the coastal and marine resources and environment have not been given much attention. Both government and stakeholder partners of PEMSEA have recognized the need to look into the issues of coastal reclamation, foreshore management, and land and sea-use zoning as key emerging issues within the region. A consensus was reached during the recently concluded 2nd East Asian Seas Partnership Council Meeting to undertake a more extensive review and knowledge sharing on the trends, impacts, benefits and good approaches related to these issues at the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2009.
Partnership Tool Shows Philippines' Billion-dollar Investment in SDS-SEA Related Projects
Initial analysis of projects and programs being undertaken in the Philippines that are contributing to the objectives and targets of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) reveals over a billion dollars of investment. The largest proportion of investments is being utilized for multi-focal projects, such as capacity enhancement in disaster management, habitat restoration and management and fisheries management.
New Code Safeguards Safety, Health and Environmental Management at Ports
Port authorities and operators face a number of challenges with respect to their role and impact in ICM programs and sustainable development of coastal areas - from the safest way to rig gangway nets, to the handling of hazardous substances and management of machinery and noise. The Port Safety, Health and Environmental Management System (PSHEMS) Code gives port authorities a defined structure within which to manage safety and the environment, and proof that they are doing it correctly. To support the Code, the PSHEM Recognition System has been set up for monitoring a port's capacities in safety and environmental management, using a structured tri-level approach to encourage the Port Authority and/or Port Operator to strive for excellence through continuous improvement.
Manila Bay joins International Coastal Clean up
More than 2,000 volunteers joined in cleaning up Manila Bay as part of the 2008 International Coastal Clean up Day celebration held on 20 September. The volunteers from government agencies, various colleges and universities, nongovernmental organizations, private corporations, religious groups and local residents gathered along the stretch of the Coastal Road in San Dionisio in Parañaque City, with the common aim of ridding the Bay of its large volume of garbage.
PEMSEA, Xavier University Mark ICM Learning Center Partnership
Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and Xavier University (Xavier) - Ateneo de Cagayan together forged an agreement that aims to broaden and increase the number of local practitioners of integrated coastal management (ICM). The partnership establishes Xavier University as a PEMSEA ICM Learning Center for Mindanao. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between PEMSEA and Xavier on capacity building for integrated coastal management was signed on 29 September by Xavier President Fr. Jose Ramon. T. Villarin, SJ and PEMSEA Executive Director Atty. Raphael P. M. Lotilla.
Guimaras Spearheads First Island-wide Coastal Management Program
The island-province of Guimaras has become the first in the Philippines to embark on an island-wide Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) program. Guimaras has obtained the support of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) & the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), a regional program implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
ICM Model Courses developed by PEMSEA for National and Regional ICM Training
As part of the PEMSEA participating countries' commitment to place 20 percent of the region's coastline under an integrated coastal management (ICM) program by 2015, as well as to increase the number of ICM practitioners and allied experts in the region, a new ICM model training course has been developed and will soon be rolled out for national and regional training.
Sihanoukville Municipality: Balancing Economic Development and Coastal Resources Management through Local Initiatives
