Blue Economy Bulletin October 2018
PUBLICATION DATE:
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
Welcome to the October Blue Economy Bulletin. This is the last newsletter before the EAS Congress 2018, which takes place from 27-30 November in Iloilo City, Philippines. Next month, instead of an E-update, daily bulletins will be sent out from the EAS Congress. To those attending, we look forward to seeing you there. In conjunction with the EAS Congress, PEMSEA is releasing its 25th anniversary publication. This publication serves as a compendium of PEMSEA's integrated coastal management (ICM) activities throughout the past 25 years. Two previews of partnership hubs at the EAS Congress are included in this bulletin: one on business opportunities in the blue economy, and one on blue carbon solutions.
Both the blue economy and blue carbon are gaining increasing global attention. The Meloy Fund is seeking investment opportunities in the coastal fisheries sectors of Indonesia and the Philippines, while a study by Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) has found MPAs benefit a variety of economic sectors in addition to their ecological and socioeconomic benefits. Both the Meloy Fund and PML will be attending the EAS Congress 2018. The World Bank has announced a blue economy trust fund, and a framework for ocean finance was presented at the Our Ocean summit. Blue carbon is becoming increasingly important, especially given the troubling IPCC report on 1.5°C warming, although action is being taken as the GCF approved 19 new projects in developing countries and the IMO rejected attempts to soften upcoming sulfur content limits for marine fuel.
As overwhelming plastic waste flows resulted in Malaysia following China in announcing a future ban on plastic waste imports, international focus on the issue is being visited in forums such as the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy. The value fish and other vertebrates play in sequestering carbon in the ocean is being seen in the concept of "fish carbon". Despite this, overfishing continues to shrink fish populations, for example in Myanmar and the Philippines.
PEMSEA's thoughts go out to the thousands affected by the earthquake and tsunami in the city of Palu and nearby areas of Indonesia. Such events highlight the vulnerability of many living in coastal communities throughout the region and the world.
Follow the latest updates on blue economy and coastal sustainable development in East Asia on Facebook and Twitter (@PEMSEA). 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.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
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.
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.
2025 MEP Program Planning Workshop
The planning workshop for the 2025 Marine Environment Protector (MEP) Program was conducted on 18-19 March 2025 at Parañaque, Philippines and brought together representatives from MEP partner organizations across six Philippine sites.
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.