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Blue Economy Bulletin February 2018
PUBLICATION DATE:
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Available (Newsletter)
DESCRIPTION:
2018 promises to be a pivotal year for blue economy development in the Seas of East Asia, as PEMSEA and its partners celebrate 25 years of progress in working towards a shared vision of healthy oceans, people and economies. We are excited to share the first issue of the Blue Economy Bulletin for 2018.
Preparations are underway for PEMSEA’s triennial East Asian Seas Congress to be held in Iloilo City, Philippines from November 27-30. As calls for private sector funding to contribute to the SDGs continue to increase, the 6th EAS Congress will focus on ushering in better, stronger and smarter regional actions, aligned with the global ocean agenda. Applications are open for organizations to host “Partnership Hub” side events, deadline for applications is March 16th.
Kicking off the year, Thailand held its National Inception Workshop in February to mobilize scaling up of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia. PEMSEA joined the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other key environmental groups in the launch of the International Year of the Reefs. At the joint ADB, UN Environment and UN ESCAP workshop on integrating environmental SDGs, PEMSEA's Executive Director Aimee Gonzales shared how the UN Ocean goal is implemented at the local level.
Elsewhere in the region, Brunei explored bilateral opportunities for blue economy development. The UN announced a Business Action Platform for the Ocean, and calls for private sector funding to contribute to the SDGs increases, including blended capital approaches to support sustainable fisheries. Green bonds, which hold promise for financing sustainable development of marine assets, are under the spotlight for accountability and transparency.
Follow the us on Facebook and Twitter (@PEMSEA) for the latest updates. We welcome your feedback, and please let us know if there are other blue economy topics you would like to see in future newsletters and programs.
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Integrated River Basin Management Project Newsletter - Edition 6
"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.
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These interconnected efforts are key components of a strengthening web of partnerships and collaboration within the ASEAN region.
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Representatives from the four existing MEP program sites presented their 2024 accomplishments and shared lessons learned from implementation. The workshop also served as an introduction for new MEP partners from Bulan and Calbayog who will begin implementation in 2025.
The participants discussed various campaigns and identified effective practices that could be applied across different sites. Together, they drafted comprehensive work plans and timelines aligned with the 2025 implementation guidelines established by the Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU).
The two-day workshop successfully established target outputs for 2025 implementation and developed strategies to effectively impact local communities in their respective sites. Participants focused on ensuring engagement and full support of their respective local government units for proposed marine plastic waste management initiatives.
Proceedings of the 1st Blue Carbon Technical Working Group Meeting
The First Blue Carbon Technical Working Group meeting was held on February 25, 2025, online via video conference (Zoom). The meeting was chaired by the Technical Session Chair and Co-Chair of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council (PC) and participated by PEMSEA country partner designated representatives from China and the Philippines; non-country partner representatives from the National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service (NMHMS), Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF), Conservation International (CI), Korean Maritime Institute (KMI); PNLC members, Xiamen University, University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI); and other collaborators, such as the China Green Carbon Foundation and OceanPixel.
PEMSEA eBulletin - February 2025
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.
IRBM Stories - Reviving the Vibrance of Ciliwung River
The Ciliwung River Basin, located in Indonesia, originates in the Bogor Regency and flows 118.25 kilometers to the Java Sea, passing through the cities of Bogor, Depok, and Jakarta. Covering 421.47 square kilometers, it supports over 3,852,000 people and provides essential resources for agriculture, livelihoods, and transportation. The Ciliwung Dam, constructed in 1911, irrigates 333 hectares of rice fields and contributes to the region's renowned tea plantations. The river basin faces significant pollution challenges from domestic and industrial waste. The Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project aims to mitigate these issues through improved governance, community engagement, and sustainable waste management practices.