Da Nang, the 01st December 2021

 

 

SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA, DECEMBER 1, 2021— True to its theme of “Charting a New Decade of H.O.P.E. (Healthy Ocean, People and Economies), the 2021 East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress opened successfully onsite in Sihanoukville, Cambodia and virtually today, December 1. An atmosphere of optimism, determination and resilience following a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marked the beginning of a two-day series of events and sessions that brought together various ocean stakeholders from 11 countries across the region.

 

 

11 PEMSEA Countries sign Preah Sihanouk Ministerial Declaration

 

SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA— In a historic first, ministers and senior government officials from 11 countries in the East Asian Seas region gathered virtually during the 7th EAS Ministerial Forum of the 2021 East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress to pledge their commitment in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Roadmap to 2030.

 

 

How Recyclers are Helping Win the War Against Plastic Waste

 

Garbage is definitely the smelliest challenge facing the planet.

 

In one of the pioneering analyses of plastics , the world’s scientists calculated that humanity has produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic, 75% or 6.3 billion metric tons of which has become plastic waste. Along with discarded metal, rubber, paper and glass, the vast majority of plastics lie in landfills or float silently in our rivers, lakes and oceans.

 

 

PEMSEA values the role and importance of youth participation and engagement in fostering healthy and resilient coasts and oceans. One of the programs we offer are internships to select college graduates and early career professionals interested in ‘hands-on’ research and ‘on the job training’ from all over the world.

 

 

In celebration of International Women’s Day, PEMSEA is pleased to introduce two remarkable women leaders and a sample of gender inclusive programs and women-led initiatives in the coastal and marine sector of the East Asian Seas (EAS) region.

 

 

Ms. Shu Qin SAM

 

 

Missed the East Asian Seas Congress last year?

 

Then no worries! Just head over to https://dev-pemseaorg.pantheonsite.io/eas-congress/ for the proceedings, recordings, and details of all our events, including the Post-Congress Report. (The report is also available in Chinese.)

 

 

"The PEMSEA Story" chronicles the transformative journey of 11 countries, 20 non-country partners, and networks of 52 local governments and 19 learning centers and research institutions as they work together to foster healthy and resilient coasts, ocean, people, and economies in the seas of East Asia. The Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) approach that PEMSEA pioneered in the region has led to fruitful results in Chonburi, one of the coastal provinces in Thailand.

 

Sir Danny Alexander during the EAS Congress 2021 where he shared the Bank’s contributions to blue economy in the region

As part of our continuing feature of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2021 players, programs, and plans, we are pleased to showcase one of our keynote speakers who introduced its work to support the advancement of blue economy in the region.

 

 

***The final proceedings can be viewed at: https://www.pemsea.org/publications/meeting-documents/ocean-and-climate-dialogue-east-asian-seas-response-global-climate***

 

The ocean makes up 71 percent of the planet and provides many services to countries and their coastal communities from mitigating weather extremes to generating the oxygen we breathe, producing the food we eat, to storing the excess carbon dioxide we generate.