Due to the recent surge in cases of COVID-19 in the East Asian region, PEMSEA has decided to extend the initial deadline of the EAS Futures Video Competition that was originally scheduled for June 1, 2021. The deadline for submissions for the video competition will now be on September 1, 2021, instead, in hopes that more youth members of the region are able to participate.

 

When the six-year GEF/UNDP/PEMSEA Scaling Up the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) Project successfully concluded last December 2020, evidence of the project’s positive socio-economic impacts was evident on the ground.

 

Last updated on: 31 May 2021

 

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) is organizing a roundtable dialogue on 8 June 2021 (World Oceans Day) aimed at supporting collaborative actions to harness blue economy in post-pandemic recovery plans. Called “Towards a Blue Economy Pathway for the East Asian Seas,” the event is the first of a series of collabs that will culminate in the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2021 on 1-2 December.

 

SPECIAL FEATURE

 

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—For many countries worldwide, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many people’s lives, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) plunged, and unemployment rates soared along with a host of environmental challenges as countries focused on response and recovery efforts, making it challenging to achieve international, regional and national commitments on climate change, biodiversity conservation, marine pollution, and other aspects of coastal and marine governance.

 

 

Oceans are home to a wide variety of species such as plants, algae, fish and micro-organisms, with some organisms finding new worlds in which to thrive. In the marine environment, IAS are capable of altering adoptive habitats, competing with native organisms for limited resources, and reducing biodiversity by causing the extinction of native plants and animals. This can lead to considerable economic impacts and the fundamental disruption of coastal and lake ecosystems.

 

 

Original article can be found on IMO's website.

 

 

Original article by Thea Arcella Bohol in the ATSEA Q2 Newsletter (April – June 2021)