Now in its third year, the IRBM Project enters a pivotal phase in advancing integrated river basin management across Southeast Asia. “Midpoint Momentum”, the seventh edition of the project’s newsletter, highlights key developments – notably the review of the implementation progress at the Third Regional Steering Committee Meeting, including the completion of the Mid-term Review, the conduct of the orientation workshop on the REWEFe Toolkit for the ASEAN Member States, the official project launch in Viet Nam and the development of solutions templates to support IRBM pilot project planning and implementation.
 

This issue also features field stories, such as the Women of the Wetlands in the Pasac-Guagua Watershed, and announces the launch of the IRBM e-Portal on PEMSEA’s Seaknowledge Bank.
 

From establishing coordination mechanisms at the local, national, and regional levels to designing scalable solutions template for river basin-level implementation, the IRBM Project continues to accelerate momentum – strengthening regional collaboration, deepening stakeholder engagement, and enhancing capacity and knowledge sharing across the ten ASEAN Member States.

Dear PEMSEA community,

April is packed with exciting progress and developments across the region!

PEMSEA is making waves at the 10th Our Ocean Conference in Busan by organizing a side event that brought together regional partners committed to support governments in meeting their 30x30 conservation targets while enhancing protection of our valuable marine ecosystems.

Looking toward the future, PEMSEA's Executive Committee (EC) Meeting in Busan endorsed plans to extend our Sustainable Development Strategy implementation to 2030. The EC also noted progress on our regional Blue Carbon Program and finalized the timeline for upcoming Partnership Council elections.

We're also proud to announce the release of "Threads of Resilience," the sixth edition of our Integrated River Basin Management Project newsletter. This issue tells inspiring narratives of women from the Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands alongside the impactful work of female environmental leaders driving change across Southeast Asia and critical conservation needs for key project sites, including Indonesia's Ciliwung River.

Other important developments include the PNLG Executive Committee's announcement of upcoming elections and General Assembly in Jakarta, the successful launch of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management Project in Viet Nam, and regional training initiatives to enhance blue carbon knowledge and integrated coastal management strategies in Xiamen, China.

"Threads of Resilience” marks the sixth edition of the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project's newsletter, spotlighting inspiring narratives of women and advancements in project implementation.

This issue features threads of resilience in the stories of women from the Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands of the Pasac-Guagua Watershed in the Philippines, alongside the impactful work of women leaders driving environmental change across Southeast Asia. It also highlights the need to conserve key project sites, including the Ciliwung River in Indonesia.

Key project activities and milestones from the first quarter of 2025 include the ongoing formulation of a framework and solutions template for pilot project development in the seven priority river basins, Lao PDR's approval of the 2025 Work Plan and State of the River Basin Report for the Nam Tha River Basin, and stakeholder validation workshops for the State of River Basin Reports for the Imus-Ylang Ylang and Rio Grande Rivers, as well as the Pasac-Guagua Watershed.

These interconnected efforts are key components of a strengthening web of partnerships and collaboration within the ASEAN region.

Dear PEMSEA community,

On International Women’s Day, the world unites in a bold call for action to advance the rights of women and girls. This year carries special significance as it marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—yet deep gender inequalities persist. #IWD2025 serves as a moment to demand progress and reaffirm commitments to building a more equal world for all.  

For over a century, International Women’s Day has been a platform for celebrating achievements, raising awareness of discrimination, and taking action toward gender parity. Since 1911, it has belonged to all who champion equality, embracing diverse efforts to drive change.  

This month, we highlight the leadership of five women as examples of implementing gender responsive actions on the ground. We also take a look at the 2025 Marine Environment Protector (MEP) Program Workshop where we partner with local organizations in addressing marine plastic pollution; celebrate the successful conclusion of the GloFouling Partnerships Project. Meanwhile, efforts to protect our coasts  continue to gain recognition as  PEMSEA is honored by Cavite State University in the Philippines as a valued partner in sustainability.

Dear PEMSEA community,

As we step into a new month, we are thrilled to share some remarkable milestones and collaborative efforts that highlight PEMSEA’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.

The month began with PEMSEA receiving recognition from the DENR-EMB for the strong collaboration particularly through the MOF/PEMSEA ODA Marine Plastics Project in the Philippines. In the Arafura and Timor Seas, representatives from Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste came together in Australia to tackle the ghost net crisis.

Discover how the IRBM Project is fostering transparency and accountability with its new Grievance Redress Mechanism, empowering voices to be heard. Learn more about the data-driven efforts in the Philippines and Timor-Leste, where beach monitoring is shaping policies to tackle marine plastics.

And don’t miss the update from PEMSEA’s inaugural Blue Carbon Technical Working Group meeting, where stakeholders across the region came together to advance the Blue Carbon Roadmap and set the direction of the program.

"Steering the Flow" is the fifth edition of the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project's newsletter, highlighting key milestones and meetings for the last quarter of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. From the IRBM Project's participation in the 2024 East Asian Seas Congress and The Pavilion for People at the 2025 World Economic Forum, to the launch of the State of River Basin Guidebook and the ongoing assessment of the interplay between water use conflicts and the water-energy-food-ecosystem security nexus in ASEAN river basins — the IRBM Project is set to steer the governance and management of priority river basins in ASEAN Member States.

Dear PEMSEA community,

Welcome to 2025!

We hope you have recovered from the successes and challenges in 2024 and are ready to step  into the new year with firm resolve to work with us in driving synergistic actions and building resilience across the East Asian Seas region.  

This January, we’re excited to share updates on our ongoing efforts!  Check out  our recent study on Harmonizing Blue Carbon Accounting, comparing practices in Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia,  the Philippines, and VERRA international standards and discover why harmonization is key to effective climate action. Celebrate the milestones of the Marine Plastics ODA Project and the plans for 2025 as we ramp up efforts to tackle marine plastics aligned with global, national, and local targets.

Learn how the East Asian Seas region is fighting the Triple Planetary Crises (TPC) through regional partnerships and stronger collaborations. Discover Yancheng City,  a pioneer in digital-green transformation and PNLG’s newest member. Finally, join PEMSEA and the Philippines in celebrating Zero-Waste Month, promoting sustainable waste management for a cleaner, zero-waste future!

Dear PEMSEA community,

That’s a wrap for East Asian Seas Congress (EASC) 2024!

As we close the successful EASC 2024 held in Xiamen, China, we look back at inspiring discussions, collaborations, and groundbreaking initiatives that helped achieve our collective commitment to a sustainable and resilient future!

This month, we extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who made EASC 2024 a success. Check out the key takeaways from the Xiamen Ministerial Declaration, discover how the EASC Exhibition celebrated 30 years of regional cooperation, and revisit the many highlights of this landmark event.

A Heartfelt Thank You!

To all delegates, convenors, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, and ocean leaders, we extend our deepest gratitude for your exceptional contributions to the success of the EASC 2024!

This year’s Congress brought together 855 participants from 20 countries, a potent pool of ideas and experiences. From 171 speakers leading 35 sessions, the creativity and enthusiasm of our 50 exhibitors, and the support of our nine sponsors, every milestone of the Congress was filled with collaboration, learning and the essence of partnerships.

We explored important themes through our plenary sessions, including:

1. Ocean Innovations and Financing
2. Ocean Science, Policy, and Practice
3. Global Challenges, Local Solutions

Parallel sessions took a closer look into selected topics like climate action, biodiversity and sustainable development, while our exhibits showcased cutting-edge solutions and technologies for ocean sustainability.

With representation from 20 countries, 88 IGOs and NGOs, 42 local host institutions, 47 academic institutions, 22 local governments, 6 donor agencies and foundations, 15 business organizations, and over 200 youth participating as speakers, delegates, and dedicated volunteers, the Congress truly reflected a “whole of society” approach.

Your contributions and engagement made this Congress a celebration of “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.” Together, we tackled the big questions, shared ideas and built lasting partnerships to protect our coastal communities and our shared ocean.

See you at the 9th EAS Congress in 2027!

Dear PEMSEA community,

Are you excited for the upcoming East Asian Seas Congress?  

We have just a week to go before EASC 2024 kicks off in Xiamen, so the final countdown has officially begun! With over 600 participants from 20 countries, 50 exhibitors and 35 session convenors, our October E-Bulletin gives you a glimpse of what awaits participants at the EAS Congress 2024!  

Happening from 6 to 8 November 2024 at the Xiamen International Convention Center, EASC 2024 promises powerful plenary sessions and no less than 26 parallel sessions covering critical ocean topics.

This joint effort by PEMSEA, the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, and the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government will bring together global stakeholders under the theme, “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.”