The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) convened the International Seminar on Blue Carbon Ecosystem Values in Busan, Republic of Korea. The seminar gathered representatives from six East Asian countries, academic institutions, and regional partners to validate enhancements to the Regional Blue Carbon Accounting Protocol (RBCAP), review biodiversity accounting and crediting approaches, and define PEMSEA’s role in governance, verification, and market development. Key outcomes included expert recommendations to strengthen the RBCAP, shared insights on biodiversity crediting pathways, and a clearer vision of PEMSEA’s added value as a regional platform for advancing blue carbon and biodiversity markets.

The document contains the proceedings from the PNLC Executive Committee (EC) held 9 September 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea.

The meeting was participated in by the President and Vice-President of the PNLC, the PEMSEA Executive Director, and the PNLC Secretariat from IPB and the PEMSEA Resource Facility. The agenda included:

• Workplan 2026-2027
• Updates on PNLC Expenditure and Financial Sustainability

Other Business:

• PRF Project Updates
• 2027 EAS Congress
• ICM Report
• Nature-based Solutions Capacity-building

• PEMSEA Blue Carbon Program Updates

   

The 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG) and PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) Joint Learning Forum, themed “Empowering Coastal Cities for a Blue Future,” was organized by the PNLG and PNLC in collaboration with the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Coastal 500, and the PEMSEA Resource Facility. The Forum was hosted by the Metropolitan City of Busan, Republic of Korea. The Joint Learning Forum took place on 8 September 2026 at Paradise Hotel Busan as part of the 2026 PNLG Annual Forum (8-10 September 2026). It featured two panel discussions: Local Pathways for Blue Carbon and Nature-Based Solutions, and Capitalizing on Coasts: Financing and Innovating Local Blue Economies.

The Fourth 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 08 July 2026 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, in conjunction with the 26th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM). Co-chaired by Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, AWGWRM Chairperson, and Mr. Gerd Trogemann of UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, the meeting brought together 55 participants from ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat, UNDP, PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF), and the East Asian Seas Executive
Committee, both in-person and online.

The Meeting reviewed implementation progress of the six participating ASEAN Member States and the regional component, including key achievements, lessons learned, implementation challenges, co-financing delivery, and planned next steps. The RSC also reviewed progress in implementing the approved Mid-Term Review (MTR) Management Response, the preparation of the 2026 Project Implementation Report (PIR), the planned activities for the third and fourth quarters of 2026, and the proposed 2027 Annual Work Plan and Budget, including the proposed no-cost extension of the Project.

The 18th East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council (PC) Meeting was held on July 22-23, 2026 at Aloft Novena Singapore, 16 Ah Hood Rd in Singapore.

Onsite participants of the meeting included the EAS PC Chair and Co-Chair; the Technical Session Chair and Co-Chair; the Intergovernmental Session Chair and Co-Chair; the Executive Director of the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF); Country Partners (CPs) from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Philippines, Republic of Korea (RoKorea), Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam; Non-Country Partners (NCPs) from the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), Korea Institute for Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM), National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service (NMHMS), Ocean Policy Research Institute – Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF), Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), and the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG). Observers include the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC). The meeting also welcomed its first-ever youth delegate, Dr. Kenny Pang of the Singapore Institute of Technology.

The 3rd PEMSEA Blue Carbon Technical Working Group Meeting, held online on 12 September 2025, focused on three main items: Partnership Council feedback from the 17th EAS PC Meeting in July, updates to the Regional Blue Carbon Accounting Protocol (RBCAP), and program planning for 2025–2026. The TWG approved the RBCAP Main Manual while keeping the ecosystem-specific annexes open for further refinement, with members agreeing to prioritize mangroves as the most methodologically mature ecosystem before integrating seagrass, salt marshes, and tidal flats. The meeting also introduced Dr. Suk-Jae Kwon as the new TWG Chair, succeeding Dr. Keita Furukawa, and set schedules for upcoming Core Group meetings on the seagrass and salt marsh annexes ahead of the next TWG plenary on 4 November 2025.

The Regional Workshop entitled “PNLC Regional Workshop: From Knowledge to Action: Scaling Blue Carbon Initiatives in the East Asian Region” was hosted by the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) and held in Antipolo, Philippines, from 25–26 March 2026.

The workshop brought together 43 participants including experts, speakers, and representatives from PNLC member institutions from 8 countries across the region, namely Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

Co-sponsored by the Luce Foundation, University of Hawai‘i, University of the Philippines–Marine Science Institute, the Ministry of Environment Indonesia, and the PNLC, and organized by the PNLC Secretariat in coordination with the PEMSEA Resource Facility.

The 5th PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) General Assembly was held at the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines, on 27 March 2026. The meeting served as a strategic platform to review PNLC accomplishments, discuss future workplans, and strengthen regional collaboration in coastal and marine management.

A total of 20 out of 25 PNLC member institutions participated in the General Assembly, representing countries across the East Asian Seas region, including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Lao PDR, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. The meeting brought together experts, researchers, and institutional representatives to exchange knowledge and align priorities.

The General Assembly covered the following key agenda items: (1) Opening of the meeting and approval of the Meeting Agenda; (2) Presentation of PNLC Accomplishments in 2024-2025 and Workplan for 2026; (3) The PEMSEA Regional Strategic Framework: Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia Implementation Plan 2023-2030 and the Role of PNLC in Implementation; (4) Collaboration with PEMSEA Partners and Projects; (5) Other Business, including announcements by PNLC Members; (6) Next Steps; and, (7) A Special Session by the SKLMEH on Conservation and Management of Marine Biodiversity.

The meeting also highlighted ongoing and upcoming collaborative initiatives, which included presentations on the Effectively Managing Networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Large Marine Ecosystems of the ASEAN Region (ASEAN ENMAPS) Project and the Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project. The IPB University introduced the PKSPL Regional Summer Course on Marine Litter Management, Policy, and Integrated Coastal Governance in the East Asian Seas Region. Dr. Brian Szuster of the University of Hawai’i (UH) introduced a project concept on a Blue Carbon Initiative for the PNLC which was conceptualized and inspired by the PNLC Blue Carbon Workshops co-sponsored by UH.

In addition, a special session on marine biodiversity conservation was conducted by SKLMEH, featuring expert presentations and discussions on integrated approaches, global monitoring programs, and innovative tools such as eDNA for marine conservation.