The 3rd Targeted Regional Workshop for Global Environment Facility (GEF) International Waters (IW) Projects in east Europe and Asia-Pacific will be jointly organized by the International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network (IW:LEARN), a GEF project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) & United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and executed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.

The upcoming East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress celebrates 25 years of partnerships for healthy oceans, people and economies. Carrying the theme “25 Years of Partnerships for Healthy Oceans, People and Economies: Moving as One with the Global Ocean Agenda”, the EAS Congress 2018 aims to usher in better, stronger, and smarter regional actions that are strategically aligned with the key principles and targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to the global ocean agenda.

Seafood is a vital source of food and economic activity for hundreds of millions of people living and working in Asia. As the demand for increased seafood production from regional, domestic and international markets continues to grow, the Asian seafood industry is facing challenges that may compromise its long-term sustainability and threaten the livelihoods of small-scale fishers and farmers.

Join this ​​FREE ​45-​minute webinar to ​learn about the Behavior Change Approach and how it is being used to address overfishing and various other threats in the coastal municipalities of the Philippines.

Did you know that an estimated eight million metric tons of plastic waste generated in 192 coastal countries enters the ocean every year?

While plastic debris in the marine environment is widely documented, prior to the groundbreaking research by Dr. Jenna Jambeck, little was known about the quantity or geographic distribution of plastic entering the ocean. The majority of this waste comes from rapidly developing economies with lagging infrastructure, and the research finds that without intervention this annual input of waste into the ocean could double by 2025.

PEMSEA, Thailand Research Fund, Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, and development partners are increasing efforts to get the oceans and coasts into the agenda, and meet the SDGs. The Blue Economy Forum 2017 will share progress on valuing the growing ocean economy, and the crucial marine ecosystem services on which our societies rely on, and highlight blue economy initiatives in the East Asian Seas Region.

Did you know that coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows, play a vital role in the global carbon cycle? In addition to providing important services that support fisheries and protect populated coastlines from erosion and flooding, these “blue carbon” ecosystems sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to regulate the global climate.

To kick off the new year, join this ​​FREE ​45-​minute webinar to ​learn about how the health of our oceans is being measured.