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Blue Economy Bulletin June 2021
PUBLICATION DATE:
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
Welcome to the PEMSEA Blue Economy Bulletin for June 2021. PEMSEA organized a number of online events this month, starting with an Ocean Roundtable Dialogue on World Ocean Day, with a focus on supporting collaborative actions to harness the blue economy in post-pandemic recovery plans. It was followed by a GESI conference organized by UNDP/GEF/ATSEA-2. Finally, we hosted two maritime transport related seminars with the IMO, the Regional Awareness Raising Seminar on the impact of biofouling on the marine environment in the seas of East Asia and a kickoff for an IMO/PEMSEA project supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) focused on tackling the global challenge of maritime transport emissions.
This month, we would also like to re-issue our call to all video enthusiasts to submit applications to the EAS Futures Video Competition. The deadline for submissions is on 1 September 2021.
A regional action plan was adopted by ASEAN member states and will be implementing over for the next five years to mitigate the plastic pollution issues. In Indonesia, a recycling centre was launched to reduce the plastic pollution by turning crisp bags and shampoo packets into paving bricks. Likewise, a Singapore recycling firm developed an application that assists in connecting the junk dealers with the company as well as members of the public who want recycling collected from outside their homes.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a green loan with wind power companies to build and operate three wind farms in Viet Nam, with an expectation of increasing the wind power capacity by 30%. Global Environment Facility (GEF) pledged to fund a Philippine government-led project to conserve Philippine Rise, while three new research projects on rising sea-level have been awarded with funding under National Sea Level Programme in Singapore.
Follow the latest updates on blue economy and coastal sustainable development in East Asia on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@PEMSEA). 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.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Proceedings of the Seventeenth East Asian Seas Partnership Council Meeting
The 17th East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council (PC) Meeting was held on 22-23 July 2025 at Seda Vertis North, Quezon City in the Philippines (UTC+8).
Onsite participants of the meeting included the EAS PC Chair and Co-Chair; the Intergovernmental Session Chair and Co-Chair; the Technical Session Chair and Co-Chair; the Executive Director of the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF); Country partners from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Philippines, RO Korea, Timor Leste, and Vietnam; Non-Country Partners from the Conservation International Philippines (CI PH), Ipieca GISEA, Korea Institute for Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM), and the National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service (NMHMS).
Online participants included country partners from Singapore and RO Korea; Non-Country Partners from the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), International Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas Center (EMECS), Korea Maritime Institute, Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML). The meeting was also attended by online observers from UNDP Philippines, Tokai University, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Baseline Assessment Report on Marine Plastics in the Six ODA Project Sites in the Philippines
This Baseline Assessment Report of MOF/PEMSEA ODA project on the Reducing Marine Plastics in East Asian Seas Region includes both the Plastic Analysis and Characterization Study (PACS) and a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Survey, specifically targeting key coastal areas in six Philippine sites: the municipalities of Bulan and Daanbantayan, and the cities of Calbayog, Dipolog, Puerto Princesa, and Tandag. These assessments aim to uncover the specific dynamics of plastic waste generation and local community behaviors toward waste management, supporting the development of data-driven interventions to address marine plastic pollution effectively.
The findings of the synthesized national baseline assessment provide valuable insights that can assist local government units, national government agencies, and relevant stakeholders in developing targeted policies and interventions. These strategies are aimed at improving solid waste management practices and reducing marine plastic pollution in coastal cities and municipalities.
Baseline Assessment Report on Marine Plastics in the Four ODA Project Sites in the Timor-Leste
This Baseline Assessment Report of MOF/PEMSEA ODA project on the Reducing Marine Plastics in East Asian Seas Region includes both the Plastic Analysis and Characterization Study (PACS) and a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Survey, specifically focusing on key coastal areas in four municipalities in Timor-Leste – Atauro, Dili, Liquiçá, and Manatuto. These components are designed to understand the specific dynamics of plastic waste generation and local community behaviors towards waste management as basis of project decisions and 10-year marine plastic management strategies and action plans, which will be developed, adopted, and implemented by local governments and stakeholders.
The findings of the synthesized national baseline assessment provide valuable insights that can assist local authorities, national government agencies, and relevant stakeholders in developing targeted policies and interventions. These strategies are aimed at improving solid waste management practices and reducing marine plastic pollution in coastal municipalities.
Regional Baseline Assessment on Marine Plastics in the East Asian Seas Region (Philippines and Timor-Leste)
As part of Component 1 of the MOF/PEMSEA ODA project on the Reducing Marine Plastics in East Asian Seas Region, a Plastic Analysis and Characterization Study (PACS) was conducted to provide essential data to guide project decisions and establish 10-year marine plastic management strategies and action plans, which will be developed, adopted, and implemented by local governments and stakeholders. This regional baseline assessment on marine plastics includes the conduct of PACS and Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Survey, specifically focusing on key coastal areas in the six cities and municipalities in the Philippines: Bulan, Calbayog, Daanbantayan, Dipolog, Puerto Princesa, and Tandag; and four municipalities in Timor-Leste: Atauro, Dili, Liquiçá, and Manatuto. These components are designed to understand the specific dynamics of plastic waste generation and local community behaviors towards waste management.
The regional synthesis identified persistent challenges across the plastic waste value chain, including high plastic waste generation, weak segregation, limited collection coverage, low recovery performance, inadequate disposal systems, and continued plastic leakage. Addressing these issues requires targeted interventions across all stages of the solid waste management system. Key recommendations focus on reducing single-use plastics through local policy and behavior change, improving segregation by providing bins and strengthening implementation, and expanding collection through additional vehicles and better route planning. Recovery must be enhanced by upgrading facilities and linking communities to recycling markets, while safe disposal options should be developed or improved to reduce open dumping and burning.
IRBM Project 3rd RSC Meeting Proceedings
Held back-to-back with the 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM), the Third Regional Steering Committee (RSC) Meeting of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Project on Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) in ASEAN Countries was held on 4 June 2025 through a hybrid format,. i.e., in-person at Haliday Inn Resort Baruna in Bali, Indonesia and online via Zoom.
Hosted by the Government of Indonesia through the Ministry of Environment (MOE), the meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, AWGWRM Chairperson and Mr. Gerd Trogemann, Manager of United Nations Development Programme-Bangkok Regional Hub of Asia and the Pacific (UNDP-BRH). The meeting was attended by the National Focal Points (NFPs) of the AWGWRM from nine (9) ASEAN Member States (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), the East Asian Seas Executive Committee, the ASEAN Secretariat, and UNDP-BRH.
The Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU), hosted by PEMSEA Resource Facility and MOE Indonesia served as Secretariat to the RSC meeting.