PEMSEA eBulletin - April 2026
PUBLICATION DATE:
Thursday, April 30, 2026
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
This month saw a region in motion, across coasts and river basins. In April, PEMSEA and its partners advanced blue carbon collaboration, strengthened coastal and river basin management, and pushed forward practical solutions across the region.
Read how PEMSEA’s non-country partners, the Korea Maritime Institute and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, convened the 2026 Blue Carbon International Seminar, bringing together regional experts to connect science, policy, and emerging carbon markets.
In the Philippines, discover how efforts in the Ticao-Burias Pass Protected Seascape are supporting stronger marine protection and more coordinated local planning as
the ASEAN ENMAPS project held a training course where stakeholders were trained on integrated coastal management and marine spatial planning.
At the regional level, the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management Project continued to strengthen regional capacity through training on the Rapid Evaluation of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (REWEFe) and Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystem Nexus approaches. Read more on how participants are applying these tools to better understand trade-offs and support more integrated decision-making.
This month also covers first-quarter developments under the IRBM Project, including strengthened coordination, planning, and pilot actions in the Philippines. Discover how ongoing efforts in Cavite and Pampanga are translating strategies into practical solutions on the ground, while a featured story from Malaysia’s Kedah River Basin sheds light on the role of communities and women in sustaining river systems.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Proceedings of the 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Forum "Empowering Coastal Cities for a Blue Future"
The 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Forum, themed “Empowering Coastal Cities for a Blue Future,” was organized by the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG), in collaboration with the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers and the PEMSEA Resource Facility, and hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea. The forum took place from September 8-10, 2026, at the Paradise Hotel Busan.
PEMSEA eBulletin - October 2026
From local solutions to international dialogues, October saw PEMSEA bringing coastal and ocean governance conversations to the forefront.
On the international stage, PEMSEA brought regional perspectives to the 11th International Waters Conference in Indonesia, the 2nd APEC Ocean Resilience Enhancement Conference, and Asia-Pacific Ocean Week 2026. Through these engagements, PEMSEA shared experiences and practical approaches to integrated coastal management, ocean resilience, and source-to-sea governance, contributing East Asian Seas perspectives to wider discussions on shared environmental challenges and regional cooperation.
At the regional level, the PEMSEA Executive Committee (EC) met online for the 36th EC Meeting to review institutional governance measures, discuss regional priorities, and look ahead to key Partnership milestones taking shape for 2027.
In the Philippines, PEMSEA continued to strengthen local partnerships through the PRICELESS Project and MOF/PEMSEA Marine Plastics ODA Project through continued collaboration with its partners and stakeholders.
Different platforms, shared priorities. This month, PEMSEA's engagements showed how regional experience can inform international conversations, how partnerships can shape collective priorities, and how cooperation can support solutions on the ground.
PEMSEA Regional Methodology for Blue Carbon Project Accounting
A Harmonized Guide for Estimating Carbon Stocks, Sequestration, and GHG Reductions in Coastal Ecosystems
Differences in measurement methods, carbon pool inclusion, and monitoring frameworks have made blue carbon projects in East Asia hard to compare. PEMSEA’s Regional Methodology addresses this with a single accounting framework for mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes. It is designed to be compatible with national greenhouse gas inventories and technically aligned with voluntary carbon credit certification requirements.
The Main Methodology sets out project eligibility and additionality, boundaries and stratification, baseline and project scenarios, uncertainty management, a tiering system, leakage, permanence and risk management, and monitoring, reporting, and verification. Five technical annexes provide the field and analytical detail:
- Annex A – Mangrove Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex B – Seagrass Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex C – Salt Marsh Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex D – Mapping Blue Carbon Ecosystems: remote sensing, validation, and change detection
- Annex E – Monitoring Environmental Parameters: the environmental conditions that influence blue carbon ecosystems
The methodology was prepared under the guidance of the Blue Carbon Technical Working Group of the EAS Partnership Council, with contributions from experts across the region. It is intended for project developers, national agencies, researchers, and verifiers working to bring high-integrity blue carbon projects to market.
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEM VALUES: Accounting and Crediting Guidance Frameworks
The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) convened the International Seminar on Blue Carbon Ecosystem Values in Busan, Republic of Korea. The seminar gathered representatives from six East Asian countries, academic institutions, and regional partners to validate enhancements to the Regional Blue Carbon Accounting Protocol (RBCAP), review biodiversity accounting and crediting approaches, and define PEMSEA’s role in governance, verification, and market development. Key outcomes included expert recommendations to strengthen the RBCAP, shared insights on biodiversity crediting pathways, and a clearer vision of PEMSEA’s added value as a regional platform for advancing blue carbon and biodiversity markets.
Proceedings of the 5th PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) Executive Committee Meeting 2026
The document contains the proceedings from the PNLC Executive Committee (EC) held 9 September 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The meeting was participated in by the President and Vice-President of the PNLC, the PEMSEA Executive Director, and the PNLC Secretariat from IPB and the PEMSEA Resource Facility. The agenda included:
- Workplan 2026-2027
- Updates on PNLC Expenditure and Financial Sustainability
Other Business:
- PRF Project Updates
- 2027 EAS Congress
- ICM Report
- Nature-based Solutions Capacity-building
PEMSEA Blue Carbon Program Updates