Proceedings of the workshop on Turning Blue: The Role of Cities in Forwarding Blue Carbon Solutions towards Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (EASC2018 Session 1 Workshop 2)
PUBLICATION DATE:
Friday, November 30, 2018
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Meeting Documents
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
Attended by at least 42 participants representing local government units, national government agencies, academe, private sector, local communities, and other key stakeholder groups, the session aimed to revisit the important role that local governments play in designing and implementing innovative blue carbon solutions. The activity became a venue to discuss and share strategies and programs towards integrated marine resource management.
Fostering an interactive and dynamic interaction amongst the participants, the session employed the Marketplace Activity approach. The resource speakers presented posters highlighting the blue carbon solutions that they are implementing in their respective localities. To enable the participants to directly engage and discuss with the speakers, the plenary was divided into groups and each group was given the chance to visit each poster station. As a culminating activity, the resource speakers and the participants gathered for a panel discussion that summarized the highlights of the session. The panel discussion was also a venue for the participants to express additional questions, insights, ideas, and other pertinent feedback related to the topic of the session.
Key learnings from the workshop centered on recognizing the importance of community participation. The resource speakers noted that local governments should always encourage and solicit the engagement and cooperation of its stakeholders, particularly the local communities who can be tapped as stewards of the marine ecosystems. In addition, the session also put premium on the enforcement of the laws and policies in place. The participants and the speakers agree that ordinances pertaining to fishing activities, harvesting of marine resource, pollution, and others should be strictly enforced at all times. The local government should allocate resources to support the operations of local enforcement groups such as the Bantay Dagat.
Another theme of the discussions is linkages and partnership building. Recognizing that the effects of climate change know no boundaries, the local governments maintained that partnership building with neighboring municipalities, national agencies, academe, private sector, and others is a strategic approach to integrated marine resource management. Inter-LGU cooperation and networking also scales up blue carbon solutions and allows them to pool their resources to expand the coverage of their initiative. A good example for this is the Oriental Mindoro Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network, a province-wide effort to uphold and preserve the biophysical integrity of the seas of Oriental Mindoro.
As a knowledge sharing session, the participants and the resource speakers also discussed key points and considerations for replication of the presented strategies. The resource speakers noted that municipalities should assess their challenges, context, and priorities first before they design their own blue carbon initiatives.
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PEMSEA eBulletin - October 2025
Dear PEMSEA community,
Navigate through inspiring stories of renewed commitments, strengthened partnerships, and collective action this October!
Read about how Philippine mayors and local leaders from five coastal cities and municipalities pledged to strengthen local actions and solutions to reduce marine plastic pollution. The Mayors’ Conference on Reducing Marine Plastics in Manila brought together key decision-makers to sign the Mayors’ Compact and project agreements under the MOF/PEMSEA ODA Project, marking milestones toward cleaner and more sustainable coasts.
Know more about how PEMSEA reaffirmed its commitment to regional cooperation on sustainable ocean governance through the 34th Expanded Executive Committee (EC) Meeting led by Partnership Council Chair Atty. Jonas Leones, setting a clear implementation pathway toward achieving 2030 global targets.
On the ground, see how empowered communities under the Marine Plastics ODA Project are leading awareness and behavior change efforts across local sites—proving that real progress begins with collective local action.
Learn about the renewed partnership between the Government of Timor-Leste and the PEMSEA Resource Facility through the signing of a revised Memorandum of Understanding in Manila, ensuring continued collaboration for reducing marine plastics in the East Asian Seas region.
Explore the growing impact of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project across Southeast Asia in their latest newsletter, from river basin consultations in the Philippines to the upcoming project rollout in Malaysia, and multistakeholder workshops advancing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus approach.
This month, we also congratulate Mr. Yinfeng Guo for his election as IUCN Regional Councillor for South and East Asia, recognizing his long-standing leadership and contributions to regional ocean and coastal governance!