Plastic Pollution in Indonesia and the Philippines: current status and upcoming knowledge needs
PUBLICATION DATE:
Friday, October 22, 2021
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Reports
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
Countries in Southeast Asia are major contributors of plastic waste to the oceans. It is estimated that globally, five of the eight largest contributors of plastic waste to the oceans are member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Despite vast media attention, there are substantial knowledge gaps and capacity needs in managing plastic leakage. Targeted science-based knowledge is warranted for sound decision making to solve the problem. Norway has taken a leading role in the international battle against marine litter and microplastic, both in terms of providing funding and in sharing knowledge. Here, we present a summary of the plastic waste management, regulatory frameworks and environmental awareness for the two countries producing the most plastic waste in the ASEAN region, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The work is undertaken as part of the ASEANO project (ASEAN-Norwegian cooperation project on local capacity building for reducing plastic pollution in the ASEAN region), led by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). The project is financed by the Norwegian Development Assistance Program Against Marine Litter and Microplastics, where the main objective is to prevent and substantially reduce the scope of marine litter in developing countries. The ASEANO project works to strengthen knowledge, capacity, and awareness to tackle plastic pollution from key sources in the ASEAN region by developing a strong network and close interaction with industries and businesses, governmental bodies and other stakeholders, international development organizations as well as non-governmental organizations.
This report has taken a multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral and holistic approach to summarise why and what kind of research and knowledge is needed in order to develop regional reduction measures and actions necessary for a global decrease of plastic waste pollution. This report is a collaboration between NIVA, Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS, Indonesia) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA, the Philippines).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
-
PEMSEA Brochure 2024
This PEMSEA e-brochure provides a quick introduction to the partnerships, its role, its networks and the services it offers. For more detailed information, please go to the homepage and browse the various sections of the website.
-
Proceedings of the 2023 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments Forum (PNLG) "Developing Coastal Cities, Fostering Blue Partnership"
The 2023 Forum of the PNLG with the theme, “Developing Coastal Cities, Fostering Blue Partnership” was hosted by the PNLG and PEMSEA and co-organized by the PNLG Secretariat, PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) and Coastal and Ocean Management Institute (COMI) of Xiamen University (XMU). The forum was conducted on 8-11 November 2023 in Xiamen, China. The PNLG Forum was one of the key events of the Xiamen World Ocean Week.
The Forum was participated by over 130 participants from:
- 23 members from seven countries, namely: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, RO Korea, and Timor Leste,
- 4 PNLG Associate members, namely the First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China; Coastal and Ocean Management Institute (COMI) and Fujian Institute for Sustainable Oceans (FISO) of Xiamen University (XMU), China, and National Ocean Technology Center (NOTC) of the Ministry of Natural Resources, China;
- resource speakers and other invited experts,
- the PNLG Secretariat, and
- the PRF.
-
Proceedings of PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) back - to - back Events
The document contains the proceedings of three back-to-back activities that were conducted in Seoul, Republic of Korea from 31 October to 3 November 2023.
The activities include:
- The 6th Geo Blue Planet Symposium on Digital Solution for Sustainable Ocean Community on October 31
- PEMSEA Learning Exchange on Good Practices in Implementing Biodiversity Conservation-Focused Ecosystem and Area-based Management Approaches on November 1
- The 3rd PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) General Assembly Meeting on November 2
The activities were organized by the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) with support from RoKorea Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries, the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), and the Korea Management Corporation (KOEM), and the Korea Blue Carbon Research Center.
Participants include 39 representatives from 17 of the 21 PNLC members, officers, and staff from KMI, KOEM, the Korea Blue Carbon Research Center, and the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF).
-
Integrated River Basin Management Project Newsletter - Edition 1
2023 marks the beginning of a breakthrough collaboration among six ASEAN member states (AMS) and development partners in Southeast Asia for the protection and management of select priority river basins that drain into four large marine ecosystems in the Southeast Asian Region, the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and Indonesian Sea. This year, the Integrated River Basin Management Project saw the project inception and establishment of the governance mechanism at the regional level, including the establishment of the Regional Project Management Unit at PRF and the approval and adoption of the 2023 workplan and budget. The six AMS proceeded in securing approval of the project in line with their respective government policies and procedures and initiated consultations at national and river basin levels to discuss the project’s implementing arrangements. Regional activities were also initiated including the development of State of River Basin Reporting Guidelines, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis, capacity development activities, and knowledge management and communication outreach.
-
Biofouling Management in the Seas of East Asia Regional Action Plan
The challenges posed by biofouling require responses at local, national, and regional levels. The link to international shipping is crucially important, especially so in East Asia, which is already the global hotspot for shipping despite continuing advances in its economies. During the regional meeting of the GloFouling Partnerships Project in September 2023, the Regional Action Plan on Biofouling Management was approved as a response to the need.