PEMSEA, ACB Ink Cooperation for Stronger Capacity Building and Joint Projects

 

Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) have signed a new five-year agreement with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) to build stronger cooperation on capacity building, information exchange, and joint initiatives for the conservation of marine ecosystems in the region.

 

The Letter of Cooperation (LoC), which renews the long-standing partnership between the two organizations was signed by PEMSEA and ACB Executive Directors, Aimee Gonzales and Dr. Theresa Mundia S. Lim respectively last September 20, 2024. 

With the new agreement in place, PEMSEA and ACB are set to engage in activities that support ocean governance and promote a sustainable blue economy. These activities will focus on helping PEMSEA country partners and/or ASEAN member states implement policies and actions that apply integrated coastal management (ICM), marine spatial planning (MSP), and an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management with a focus on addressing marine biodiversity conservation and restoration, tackling marine pollution and wastes and strengthening climate resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems.

The agreement also secures the collaboration between the two organizations in co-convening sessions at key regional fora, including the East Asian Seas Congress, the ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity, the ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference, and other regional workshops. 

The newly signed LoC will also support the implementation of major international frameworks, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) Implementation Plan for 2023-2027.

 

To promote knowledge sharing, the agreement puts emphasis on the collaborative use of regional platforms such as the ASEAN Biodiversity Website and Dashboard and PEMSEA’s Seas of East Asia Knowledge Bank (SeaKB) to provide open access and sharing of data, tools, information, and other knowledge products.

 

ASEAN ENMAPS

 

PEMSEA is looking forward to collaborating with ACB on the ASEAN ENMAPS project, titled “Effectively Managing Protected Areas in Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) in the ASEAN Region,” funded by UNDP and GEF. This five-year project aims to strengthen networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine corridors across selected LMEs in the ASEAN region, focusing on conserving globally significant biodiversity while supporting sustainable fisheries and other essential ecosystem services.

 

The project is expected to bring transformative changes in the collaborative management of MPAs and other coastal and marine resources in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, building upon country initiatives to develop and manage MPAs, establish MPA networks and associated marine corridors, and mainstreaming ICM, MSP, and ecosystem-based fisheries management (EAFM).

 

As a non-country partner, PEMSEA will provide critical support through strategic guidance, capacity building, and training. It will also facilitate connections with ongoing ICM, MSP, and EAFM initiatives, offering mentorship to national teams as they develop gender-equitable and socially inclusive MPA and MPA network management plans.

 

To learn more about the ASEAN ENMAPS project, join ACB Regional Project Manager Dr. Sheila Vergara and a panel of leading experts during the Ocean Science, Policy, and Practice plenary session, as well as the “Achieving Sustainability through Connectivity for Resilient ASEAN Seas” session workshop organized by ACB on November 7 at the East Asian Seas Congress in Xiamen, China.