
Breadcrumb
PEMSEA eBulletin - July 2024
PUBLICATION DATE:
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Available (Newsletter)
DESCRIPTION:
Dear PEMSEA community,
Welcome to the July e-bulletin.
We are pleased to announce the release of the program for the International Conference segment of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2024, set to take place on 6-8 November 2024 with the theme “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.” The International Conference will feature a range of activities, including Plenary and Parallel Sessions, Workshops, and exhibits. Do register to join using the button below.
Also in the news, the third edition of the IRBM Project Newsletter features the launch of the State of the River Basin Reporting for seven priority river basins, as well as the 2nd Regional Steering Committee Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia, field visits to the Kampong Bay River Basin, and discussions on the project scope and boundaries in the Pasac Watershed in the Philippines.
The ATSEA-2 Project is working on mangrove conservation in the Aru Archipelago’s Southeast Aru Marine Protected Area. The second quarter ATSEA-2 newsletter highlights key environmental initiatives in the Arafura and Timor Seas region, including the senior officials’ meeting in Brisbane that finalized the draft for the ATS Ministerial Forum. It also details the new Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for 2024-2033, adopted by Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste, along with the adoption of Papua New Guinea's first local-level fisheries management law and the inauguration of the Tok Derek Women’s Cooperative fish shop in Timor-Leste.
From our partners, the Second Bataan State of the Coasts (SOC) evaluated the province’s progress in ICM implementation from 2017-2022, using the First Bataan SOC report, which covered data from 2000 to 2015, as a baseline. The East Asian Seas Initiative on Clean Oceans (EASICO) project concluded noting achievements in citizen science and marine plastic pollution reduction. Dongying integrates industrial growth with environmental stewardship through its Integrated Coastal Zone Management strategy.
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.