Coastal communities are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change on the ocean, including depleted marine ecosystems, sea-level rise, and coastal hazards such as storm surges. These climate change-related impacts have been experienced by Guimaras, a small island province located in Western Visayas, Philippines.

 

 

River Rangers from Imus haul sacks of newly-collected garbage in chest-deep waters. “Tomorrow, new trash will flow down from the uplands to again cover this riverbank with garbage,” shares ranger Junjun Brinola. Though the work is ceaseless, regular river cleanups can help prevent garbage from flowing out to sea.  (Gregg Yan / PEMSEA)

 

 

Principal Rhodora Sacramento shows how easy it is to stuff junk food packaging into used bottles. The school administrator has been waging a War on Waste since 2016, exhorting Cavite’s students to do all they can to minimize the garbage their respective schools generate. She currently serves as principal of the Mabolo Elementary School in Bacoor. (Gregg Yan / PEMSEA)

 

 

Deadline for registration: 30 June 2022

 

A Summer Course on Tropical Sea Farming of IPB University is taking place on 1-10 August 2022 in Bogor, Indonesia, the course offers students with a credit-earning program involving 18 resource speakers across East Asia who will engage students in a series of lectures and workshops on the the principles, concepts, planning, and operational aspects of sea farming (or more commonly known as mariculture) and its capacity for integrated coastal management to help ensure sustainable development of the sector.

 

During the 14th East Asian Seas Partnership Council (EAS PC) Meeting last July 27, new Chairs and Co-Chairs were sworn in for the period of 31 July 2022 to 30 July 2025. As the governing body of PEMSEA, the Council formulates policies in support of sustainable coastal development throughout the EAS region. It consists of the Executive Committee, made up of elected Chairs and Co-Chairs and the Executive Director of PEMSEA Resource Facility, and PEMSEA’s country and non-country partners.

 

 

Mr. A. Zaki Iskandar, Regent of Tangerang Regency in Banten Province, Indonesia and Vice President of the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) together with key officials visited the province of Cavite, one of PEMSEA’s ICM (integrated coastal management) sites in the Philippines on July 19, 2022 to learn some of the good practices in ICM program implementation in the province. Cavite Province showcased some of its efforts in habitat conservation and protection, and solid and plastic waste management.

 

 

Last 22 June, the 2022 East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum, with the theme of “Embrace the Ocean Decade for a Shared Future,” took place in Qingdao, China. It attracted over 400 participants online and on-site, including marine experts, economists, artists, and entrepreneurs of different countries and organizations globally to deepen exchanges and cooperation in marine science, economy, technology, humanities, and environmental protection.

 

 

The following interview with Dr. Chua Thia-Eng is extracted from The PEMSEA Story, a narrative of PEMSEA’s development and the growth of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) throughout the seas of East Asia. Dr. Chua was PEMSEA’s first Regional Programme Director of PEMSEA, serving from 1993 to 2007. He continues to work towards regional sustainability, serving as PEMSEA Chair Emeritus and providing advice to actors within the region.