Blue Economy Bulletin April 2018
PUBLICATION DATE:
Monday, April 30, 2018
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Available (Newsletter)
DESCRIPTION:
Progress towards a sustainable blue economy is becoming a more important issue, not only for specialists and policy-makers, but also for civil society, as blue economy issues continue to increase within the public awareness. PEMSEA and its partners, who this year celebrate 25 years of progress in working towards a shared vision of healthy oceans, people and economies, welcome you to the second Blue Economy Bulletin of 2018!
PEMSEA’s triennial East Asian Seas Congress, to be held in Iloilo City, Philippines, from November 27-30, is drawing closer. With the theme “25 Years of Partnerships for Healthy Oceans, People and Economies: Moving as One with the Global Ocean Agenda”, the EAS Congress 2018 is expected to engage over 1,000 participants from national and local government, academia, business, international organizations and NGOs. It will feature an International Conference and Environmental Exhibition, the Fifth EAS Youth Forum (YF5), PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Forum 2018, and will culminate with the Sixth Ministerial Forum. The call for applications to the Fifth EAS Youth Forum (YF5) has been released, and PEMSEA asks any youth from the region aged 18-25 who are working or interested in the sustainable development of coasts and oceans to consider applying.
Real change happens on the ground, so we were pleased that PEMSEA’s work in Bataan, Philippines, was featured in a video celebrating protection of our oceans for Earth Day 2018. PEMSEA also welcomed recent developments in the Philippine’s Romblon province, where Local Government Units (LGUs) have incorporated integrated coastal management thinking into their development plans.
In global news, IMO member states agreed to a 50% reduction from 2008 levels in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The World Ocean Summit 2018 saw the release of 14 Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles, while over 100 global corporations had emissions reductions plans approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. The U.S. called for marine mammal bycatch mitigation plans from fisheries by 2022 as a requirement for these fisheries to access U.S. markets. Scientists discovered an enzyme that can digest polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a key component of modern plastics, which could prove to be a crucial new tool to address ocean plastic pollution.
A consultative committee in the Philippines intends to strengthen environmental rights in a new constitution, and the Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) held its first hearing against major corporate carbon emitters. Due to overcapacity, the Philippines and Thailand have both closed popular tourist destinations for a number of months. Indonesia plans to launch an excise on plastics in May and has deployed its military to clean up the Citarum river, while China’s Environment Ministry has announced that it intends to tackle plastic pollution in the Yangtze river.
Follow the us on Facebook and Twitter (@PEMSEA) for the latest updates. 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.
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The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System
The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System is intended for local governments and/or river basinorganizations in the East Asian Seas region currently or planning to implement integrated river basin management (IRBM)/integratedwater resources management (IWRM) programs. It provides guidance in establishing a regular monitoring, evaluation (M&E) and reporting mechanism, and discusses the requirements, the basis and importance of implementing and sustaining the SORB reporting system.
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Integrated River Basin Management Project Newsletter - Edition 4
“Making Waves from Source to Sea” is the fourth edition of the Integrated River Basin Management Project’s newsletter, which highlights the different levels of key activities and milestones for the second year of the Project across the region. From the IRBM Project’s participation at the recently concluded 10th Biennial International Water Conference in Uruguay, to regional gender and social inclusion workshop in Indonesia, and river basin level consultation with indigenous leaders and other stakeholders — the IRBM Project is gaining more momentum to ensure impactful results in each site.
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IRBM Stories - Pasac-Guagua Watershed: A Sanctuary for Wildlife and People
Located in the central region of northern Philippines, the Pasac -Guagua Watershed is a critical source of water and livelihood that supports 152 villages within the watershed. It is one of the major river systems that drain to Manila Bay, considered the main harbor of the country that is connected to a larger marine ecosystem, that is, the South China Sea.
The Pasac-Guagua Watershed is also a biodiversity haven where a portion of it is an important migratory path for water birds. The protection and sustainable management of the watershed is essential not only for the communities and wildlife thriving in the area for coastal and marine ecosystems connected to the river.
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PEMSEA eBulletin - September 2024
Dear PEMSEA community,
Welcome to the September e-bulletin!
With just over a month to go until the East Asian Seas Congress, we are excited to unveil our lineup of global and regional experts who will lead various technical sessions and plenary discussions. The opening ceremony will feature Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of IOC-UNESCO and Assistant Secretary-General of UNESCO, alongside Dr. Vann Monyneath, Chair of the EAS Partnership Council, Ministers and senior leaders of PEMSEA country and non-country partners.
As the EASC returns to Xiamen, discover how the Congress has evolved and thrived over three decades, paralleling the city’s own journey toward promoting sustainable and resilient blue economy.
This month, PEMSEA representatives are taking the stage at various workshops and events across the globe. PEMSEA Executive Director Aimee Gonzales participated in the Marine Spatial Planning Cooperation Workshop of Maritime Silk Road Partner Countries held in Beijing, China, on 26 September 2024 where she emphasized the importance of integrating coastal management mechanisms with area-based management tools to meet global biodiversity targets.
Ms. Nancy Bermas, Regional Project Manager of the UNDP/GEF/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project, attended the 10th Biennial International Waters Conference (IWC10) in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 23-26 September 2024, where she delivered a pitch on the IRBM Project’s experience in establishing governance mechanisms at both regional and basin levels.
While Ms. Gusung Lee, PEMSEA Technical Advisor was in Bangkok, Thailand to represent PEMSEA in a panel discussion on regional and subregional instruments, frameworks and bodies (IFBs) at the Workshop for North-East and South-East Asia on the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), held from 16-20 September 2024. She discussed PEMSEA’s experience in Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as essential tools to manage land-sea use interaction which would be vital in extending protection and sustainable management of biodiversity in the high seas.
From the field, we share the latest updates on the UNDP/GEF/ASEAN IRBM project which held a dialogue with indigenous leaders in the Province of Pampanga on 17 September 2024. The Marine Plastics Project local partners in Dipolog City and Bulan, Sorsogon in the Philippines participated in the International Coastal Cleanup on 21 September 2024.
In other news, PEMSEA and the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) have renewed their partnership on biodiversity conservation and marine habitat protection and restoration through a five-year Letter of Cooperation, signed on 20 September 2024, by their respective Executive Directors Aimee Gonzales and Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim.
From the ATSEA-2 Project, check out the recent publication of six key scientific studies focused on marine conservation and sustainable development in the Arafura and Timor Seas.
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PEMSEA eBulletin - August 2024
Dear PEMSEA community,
Welcome to the August e-bulletin!
We have a little over 60 days before EAS Congress 2024 kicks off! Do check out the messages from Dr. Vann Monyneath, Chair of the EAS Partnership Council, alongside key officials Sun Shuxian, Vice Minister of Natural Resources, and Huang Wenhui, Mayor of Xiamen, inviting the global ocean community to join us in this triennial event to foster stronger regional collaboration in ocean governance and management.
This month’s bulletin also features the winners of the “Humans of East Asian Seas” challenge which we launched last year to commemorate PEMSEA’s 30th anniversary. Thirty local champions of coastal and marine conservation across the region were selected, with the top three profiled in this bulletin in recognition of their contributions in promoting sustainable coastal development, namely: Ms. Masako Bannai Otsuka of Japan, Mr. Prak Visal of Cambodia, and Dr. Wang Jinhe of China.
We also want to inform you about the new features on the SEA Knowledge Bank platform. The revamped platform now includes an e-library of scientific publications, an interactive map of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) sites, and new resources from ongoing projects.
Local government officials from Tangerang Regency, Indonesia, recently completed an ICM study tour in Batangas City, Philippines. The visit, held from 30 July to 1 August 2024, facilitated LGU to LGU knowledge exchange on sustainable coastal practices and management strategies.
The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN River Basin Project organized a Regional Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Workshop in Bogor City, Indonesia, on 6-7 August 2024. The workshop brought together participants from seven river basins in ASEAN member states to discuss regional GESI analysis, develop stakeholder maps, and improve capacity for mainstreaming GESI principles in river basin management programs.
In other updates, a recent PEMSEA study reveals growing interest in Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCEs) across the East Asian Seas region. BCE projects, focusing on mangroves, seagrasses, and other critical habitats, are advancing efforts in conservation, research, and restoration.
From the ATSEA-2 Project, global experts convened in Bali, Indonesia for the Global Dialogue on Sustainable Ocean Development with ATSEA-2 Regional Project Manager, Dr. Handoko Adi Susanto representing ATSEA/PEMSEA in the dialogue.
The 2024 EAS Congress will be hosted by China in Xiamen from 6-8 November 2024. It is organized through a partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government, and PEMSEA.
The event will take place in conjunction with Xiamen World Ocean Week, featuring the city's commitment to sustainable ocean management and regional collaboration.
For more information, visit the 2024 EAS Congress website.