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PEMSEA and the Sustainable Development Goals
PUBLICATION DATE:
Monday, July 18, 2016
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Brochures and Infographics
STATUS:
Available
DESCRIPTION:
Since 2003, the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) has served as a platform for cooperation and coordinated action among country and non-country partners and collaborators within the framework of PEMSEA, or Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia. PEMSEA is an international organization specializing in integrated coastal and ocean governance of the Seas of East Asia. It is a partnership arrangement comprised of 11 country and 20 non-country partners with a collective commitment to implement the SDS-SEA.
PEMSEA's main goal is the pursuit of the sustainable development of coasts and oceans through integrated management solutions. The solutions PEMSEA adopts recognize ecosystem health and resiliency and social well-being as integral parts of economic progress. Our vision is HOPE—Healthy Oceans, People and Economies. The Partner Countries strive to attain the SDS-SEA objectives and targets by improving coastal and ocean governance at the local, national and regional levels, scaling up ICM program coverage of the region's coastline, and boosting investments in blue economy.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the UN in September 2015, provide 17 Goals and 169 targets to guide actions globally in key areas where government, the private sector and citizens will have to invest in order to transform economies and prosper within the social and ecological boundaries of the planet. There are a number of obvious synergies between the SDGs and the implementation of the SDS-SEA, in particular SDG 14: Life Below Water, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG13: Climate Actions, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
There are challenges to achieving the SDGs and full implementation of the SDS-SEA. But PEMSEA Partners are fully determined and committed to overcome these challenges and ultimately to contribute to targets set forth by the SDGs through individual and combined actions aligned with the SDS-SEA.
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INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEM VALUES: Accounting and Crediting Guidance Frameworks
The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) convened the International Seminar on Blue Carbon Ecosystem Values in Busan, Republic of Korea. The seminar gathered representatives from six East Asian countries, academic institutions, and regional partners to validate enhancements to the Regional Blue Carbon Accounting Protocol (RBCAP), review biodiversity accounting and crediting approaches, and define PEMSEA’s role in governance, verification, and market development. Key outcomes included expert recommendations to strengthen the RBCAP, shared insights on biodiversity crediting pathways, and a clearer vision of PEMSEA’s added value as a regional platform for advancing blue carbon and biodiversity markets.
The 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG) and PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) Joint Learning Forum
The 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG) and PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) Joint Learning Forum, themed “Empowering Coastal Cities for a Blue Future,” was organized by the PNLG and PNLC in collaboration with the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Coastal 500, and the PEMSEA Resource Facility. The Forum was hosted by the Metropolitan City of Busan, Republic of Korea. The Joint Learning Forum took place on 8 September 2026 at Paradise Hotel Busan as part of the 2026 PNLG Annual Forum (8-10 September 2026). It featured two panel discussions: Local Pathways for Blue Carbon and Nature-Based Solutions, and Capitalizing on Coasts: Financing and Innovating Local Blue Economies.
Proceedings of the 5th PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) Executive Committee Meeting 2026
The document contains the proceedings from the PNLC Executive Committee (EC) held 9 September 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The meeting was participated in by the President and Vice-President of the PNLC, the PEMSEA Executive Director, and the PNLC Secretariat from IPB and the PEMSEA Resource Facility. The agenda included:
- Workplan 2026-2027
- Updates on PNLC Expenditure and Financial Sustainability
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PEMSEA eBulletin - September 2026
September connected regional decisions with local action—from a new declaration in Busan to community-led work across the region.
In Busan, the 2026 PNLG General Assembly adopted the Busan Declaration on Promoting Local Coastal Resilience and Sustainable Blue Economy and welcomed Atauro Island, Timor-Leste, as the Network’s newest member. Meanwhile, PEMSEA Founder Dr. Chua Tia-Eng returned to the PEMSEA Resource Facility for a discussion with colleagues on PEMSEA’s history, lessons, and continuing role in advancing sustainable coastal and ocean governance.
PEMSEA project updates include the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN IRBM Project advanced planning for food and biodegradable waste management in the Pasac-Guagua Watershed, while the PRICELESS Project brought stakeholders together in Regions 3 and 4A to tackle challenges and priorities for the Philippine Rise.
In the Philippines and Timor-Leste, MEP partners under the MOF/PEMSEA Marine Plastics ODA Project mobilized communities, schools, government agencies and civil society organizations for International Coastal Cleanup activities, turning awareness of marine plastic pollution into action on the ground.
Proceedings of the Fourth RSC Meeting of the IRBM Project
The Fourth Regional Steering Committee (RSC) Meeting of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Project on Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) in ASEAN countries was held on 08 July 2026 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, in conjunction with the 26th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM). Co-chaired by Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, AWGWRM Chairperson, and Mr. Gerd Trogemann of UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, the meeting brought together 55 participants from ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat, UNDP, PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF), and the East Asian Seas Executive
Committee, both in-person and online.The Meeting reviewed implementation progress of the six participating ASEAN Member States and the regional component, including key achievements, lessons learned, implementation challenges, co-financing delivery, and planned next steps. The RSC also reviewed progress in implementing the approved Mid-Term Review (MTR) Management Response, the preparation of the 2026 Project Implementation Report (PIR), the planned activities for the third and fourth quarters of 2026, and the proposed 2027 Annual Work Plan and Budget, including the proposed no-cost extension of the Project.
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PEMSEA and the Sustainable Development Goals
Since 2003, the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) has served as a platform for cooperation and coordinated action among country and non-country partners and collaborators within the framework of PEMSEA, or Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia. PEMSEA is an international organization specializing in integrated coastal and ocean governance of the Seas of East Asia. It is a partnership arrangement comprised of 11 country and 20 non-country partners with a collective commitment to implement the SDS-SEA.
PEMSEA's main goal is the pursuit of the sustainable development of coasts and oceans through integrated management solutions. The solutions PEMSEA adopts recognize ecosystem health and resiliency and social well-being as integral parts of economic progress. Our vision is HOPE—Healthy Oceans, People and Economies. The Partner Countries strive to attain the SDS-SEA objectives and targets by improving coastal and ocean governance at the local, national and regional levels, scaling up ICM program coverage of the region's coastline, and boosting investments in blue economy.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the UN in September 2015, provide 17 Goals and 169 targets to guide actions globally in key areas where government, the private sector and citizens will have to invest in order to transform economies and prosper within the social and ecological boundaries of the planet. There are a number of obvious synergies between the SDGs and the implementation of the SDS-SEA, in particular SDG 14: Life Below Water, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG13: Climate Actions, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
There are challenges to achieving the SDGs and full implementation of the SDS-SEA. But PEMSEA Partners are fully determined and committed to overcome these challenges and ultimately to contribute to targets set forth by the SDGs through individual and combined actions aligned with the SDS-SEA.