Integrated River Basin Management Project Newsletter - Edition 1

Dear PEMSEA community,

That’s a wrap for East Asian Seas Congress (EASC) 2024!

As we close the successful EASC 2024 held in Xiamen, China, we look back at inspiring discussions, collaborations, and groundbreaking initiatives that helped achieve our collective commitment to a sustainable and resilient future!

This month, we extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who made EASC 2024 a success. Check out the key takeaways from the Xiamen Ministerial Declaration, discover how the EASC Exhibition celebrated 30 years of regional cooperation, and revisit the many highlights of this landmark event.

A Heartfelt Thank You!

To all delegates, convenors, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, and ocean leaders, we extend our deepest gratitude for your exceptional contributions to the success of the EASC 2024!

This year’s Congress brought together 855 participants from 20 countries, a potent pool of ideas and experiences. From 171 speakers leading 35 sessions, the creativity and enthusiasm of our 50 exhibitors, and the support of our nine sponsors, every milestone of the Congress was filled with collaboration, learning and the essence of partnerships.

We explored important themes through our plenary sessions, including:

1. Ocean Innovations and Financing
2. Ocean Science, Policy, and Practice
3. Global Challenges, Local Solutions

Parallel sessions took a closer look into selected topics like climate action, biodiversity and sustainable development, while our exhibits showcased cutting-edge solutions and technologies for ocean sustainability.

With representation from 20 countries, 88 IGOs and NGOs, 42 local host institutions, 47 academic institutions, 22 local governments, 6 donor agencies and foundations, 15 business organizations, and over 200 youth participating as speakers, delegates, and dedicated volunteers, the Congress truly reflected a “whole of society” approach.

Your contributions and engagement made this Congress a celebration of “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.” Together, we tackled the big questions, shared ideas and built lasting partnerships to protect our coastal communities and our shared ocean.

See you at the 9th EAS Congress in 2027!

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.

Dear PEMSEA community,

Are you excited for the upcoming East Asian Seas Congress?  

We have just a week to go before EASC 2024 kicks off in Xiamen, so the final countdown has officially begun! With over 600 participants from 20 countries, 50 exhibitors and 35 session convenors, our October E-Bulletin gives you a glimpse of what awaits participants at the EAS Congress 2024!  

Happening from 6 to 8 November 2024 at the Xiamen International Convention Center, EASC 2024 promises powerful plenary sessions and no less than 26 parallel sessions covering critical ocean topics.

This joint effort by PEMSEA, the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, and the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government will bring together global stakeholders under the theme, “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.”

“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.

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.