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.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
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.
Proceedings of the Eighteenth East Asian Seas Partnership Council Meeting
The 18th East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council (PC) Meeting was held on July 22-23, 2026 at Aloft Novena Singapore, 16 Ah Hood Rd in Singapore.
Onsite participants of the meeting included the EAS PC Chair and Co-Chair; the Technical Session Chair and Co-Chair; the Intergovernmental Session Chair and Co-Chair; the Executive Director of the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF); Country Partners (CPs) from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Philippines, Republic of Korea (RoKorea), Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam; Non-Country Partners (NCPs) from the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), Korea Institute for Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM), National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service (NMHMS), Ocean Policy Research Institute – Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF), Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), and the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG). Observers include the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC). The meeting also welcomed its first-ever youth delegate, Dr. Kenny Pang of the Singapore Institute of Technology.
PEMSEA eBulletin - August 2026
In the Philippines, multi-sectoral stakeholders in Bicol and Cagayan Valley provided inputs for the local implementation of the PRICELESS Project and the management of the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR). At the 4th ASEAN Blue Economy Forum, PEMSEA called for concrete investments to address the triple planetary crisis while protecting marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods.
In Busan, the upcoming 2026 PNLG–PNLC Joint Learning Forum Technical Session will examine nature-based, network-driven pathways for local blue economies, including approaches to coastal resilience and sustainable economic opportunities from marine and coastal ecosystems.
Meanwhile, the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN IRBM Project brought together representatives from six ASEAN Member States for a regional workshop on environmental monitoring and reporting in support of IRBM program development and implementation. Participants also visited sites in the Ciliwung River Basin to examine practical applications of environmental monitoring, including industrial wastewater treatment and the Online Realtime Waste Water Quality Monitoring System (SPARING).
PEMSEA eBulletin - July 2026
Across the region, PEMSEA partners came together to reflect on progress, strengthen partnerships, and chart the path forward for a resilient East Asian Seas region. At the center of these conversations was the 18th East Asian Seas Partnership Council Meeting in Singapore, where PEMSEA Country and Non-Country Partners reviewed key achievements, agreed on strategic priorities, and reaffirmed a shared vision for healthy coasts, resilient communities, and sustainable blue economies. The field visit to Singapore’s Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve offered participants an opportunity to see firsthand how conservation efforts and nature-based solutions contribute to resilient coastal ecosystems.
Collaboration extended well beyond the EAS Partnership Council Meeting. This month saw the approval of revised pilot projects in three Philippine sites and continued preparations for implementation in Timor-Leste under the MOF/PEMSEA Marine Plastics ODA Project, bringing local governments one step closer to turning plans into action. The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project also marked several milestones, convening regional dialogues on river basin governance, holding its 4th Regional Steering Committee Meeting, and advancing pilot project development through field missions and local engagement.
Taken together, these stories reflect a busy July and show how regional cooperation is translated into practical solutions—through partnerships, informed decision-making, and sustained action on the ground.
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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.