PEMSEA

PEMSEA celebrated the successful conclusion of the GEF/UNDP/IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project at the 3rd Global Project Task Force Meeting and the Women in Maritime workshop in Bali, Indonesia last 10-13 March 2025. The project aimed to minimize risks of Invasive Aquatic Species (IAS) from biofouling by assessing policy gaps, building capacity for IMO Biofouling Guidelines implementation, engaging the private sector in innovative solutions, and establishing monitoring frameworks. PEMSEA expresses gratitude to its partners, including ASEAN member states, Global Environment Facility, UNDP, and the International Maritime Organization for their trust and support in advancing global biofouling management efforts. #GloFouling #BioFouling #InvasiveAquaticSpecies

The MOF/PEMSEA ODA Marine Plastics Project successfully convened the 2025 Marine Environment Protector (MEP) Program Workshop at Seda Manila Bay, Parañaque, Philippines from 18 to 19 March 2025. The two-day workshop brought together representatives from the LGUs and NGOs of six MEP partner sites across the Philippines. The two-day workshop focused on evaluating the progress of ongoing MEP programs, setting actionable targets for 2025, and exchanging effective awareness-raising activities and good community-based management practices to reduce marine plastic pollution in their respective sites. The participants also learned from Ilusion Farias of HOPE: Business for Good, who delivered an inspiring talk on the Aling Tindera program, a community-based program that has empowered local women as micro-entrepreneurs and lead plastic waste reduction efforts. The MEP Program of MOF/PEMSEA ODA Marine Plastics Project aims to address marine plastic pollution by mobilizing local communities across its project sites through engaging local governments, organizations, and residents and strengthening community-led initiatives to reduce plastic waste, enhance environmental awareness, and promote sustainable practices.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 - 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 For Kelly Tan, the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer and MOF/PEMSEA Marine Plastics Project Focal Point of Bulan, Sorsogon in the Philippines, protecting coastal and marine ecosystems is a collective responsibility—one where women are not just participants but leaders and changemakers. In Bulan, women are at the forefront of governance, community clean-ups, and innovative solutions to combat plastic waste and promote sustainability. She emphasizes that no effort is too small to make a difference, urging women to take bold steps, even when the challenge feels overwhelming. She believes environmental advocacy should inspire a ripple effect, motivating others to join the movement and proving that transformative change often begins with a single voice, a single idea, or a single act of courage. In celebration of #IWD2025 tune in to PEMSEA’s social media pages and PEMSEA’s March e-bulletin to see messages from women shaping the future of the East Asian Seas! Subscribe to PEMSEA e-bulletin: https://bit.ly/41CKgrz Like us on Facebook: https://lnkd.in/g_dzhEMr #InternationalWomensMonth #internationalwomensday #ForAllWomenAndGirls #AccelerateAction

Rivers are the lifeblood of our Earth, providing water, food, and transportation for millions of people while sustaining ecosystems and economies. In Southeast Asia, rivers are essential to daily life, yet they face growing threats from pollution, overuse, and climate change as a consequence of inadequate planning and management. The Source-to-Sea approach recognizes that activities upstream impact everything downstream, including coasts and oceans. Protecting rivers is not just about safeguarding freshwater—it is about preserving the entire ecosystems along the Source-to-Sea continuum. The Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project is essential as a starting point for effective river basin planning and management. This five-year regional initiative, implemented in priority river basins across Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, aims to improve river basin governance and management responsiveness and capacities to reduce pollution, sustain freshwater flows, and enhance climate resilience. The project is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and executed by the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of Asia (PEMSEA) Resource Facility in collaboration with ASEAN. Learn more about the IRBM Project here: https://bit.ly/4hAKMwa Global Environment Facility UNDP in Asia and the Pacific The ASEAN Secretariat #IRBMProject #InternationalDayofActionforRivers

𝐓𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬: 𝐁𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 For Laudato Si’ Movement Timor-Leste co-founder and PEMSEA youth delegate, Isaura Baptista Barros, working with youth- and women-led organizations proved that when women are empowered, they are able to drive meaningful change by educating communities, implementing conservation projects that involve women and girls, and advocating for stronger environmental policies. A staunch and passionate advocate for climate action and sustainable development, Isaura emphasizes the need to ensure equal access to education, training, and leadership in marine-related industries. For her, policies must break down barriers that prevent women from participating fully in fisheries, marine conservation, and coastal management. She also champions community-based solutions that value traditional knowledge, often held by women, to create more inclusive decision-making. In celebration of #IWD2025 tune in to PEMSEA’s social media pages and e-bulletin this month as we showcase messages from women shaping the future of the East Asian Seas! #ForAllWomenAndGirls #InternationalWomensDay

PEMSEA celebrates International Women’s Day 2025! PEMSEA believes that women are the driving force behind a sustainable future for our ocean. This International Women’s Day, we’re not just celebrating, we are taking action. We stand for women’s rights, equality, and empowerment, and we’re committed to bridging the gender gap to build a sustainable and resilient ocean. Guided by the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) Implementation Plan 2023-2027, gender equality and social inclusion is at the heart of our efforts. We recognize that the participation of women, minorities, and other disadvantaged sectors is vital to ensure inclusive and equitable decisions and solutions. From championing the incredible women shaping the future of our seas to fostering blue synergistic actions, we’re dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable ocean sector. This month, PEMSEA is releasing a series of stories featuring women champions across the East Asian Seas region who are leading the charge in ocean sustainability. These stories serve more than just to inspire and emulate, it is a call to action for the ocean community to embrace diversity, break stereotypes, challenge cultural perceptions of gender roles, and strengthen the region’s commitment to create equal opportunities for all women and girls. This year’s theme is a bold call to action: uphold equal rights, power and opportunities for all, and drive empowerment across all sectors. Together, we create a future where women and girls have the opportunity to thrive and contribute to a healthier, resilient, more sustainable ocean! #ForAllWomenAndGirls #IWD2025 #InternationalWomensDay

📢 Happening Now! 🔍 The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management Project is conducting a stakeholder validation workshop for the State of the River Basin Report (SORB) of the Pasac-Guagua Watershed in Pampanga, Philippines. Facilitated by UPLB Foundation, Inc., the workshop gathers representatives from national, provincial, and municipal governments in Pampanga to review and validate the findings based on 32 SORB indicators, ensuring the report accurately reflects on-the-ground conditions. The SORB, an indicator-based reporting system within the Source-to-Sea management framework, serves as a key tool for reporting, monitoring, and evaluating the overall condition of the Pasac-Guagua Watershed. It aims to support data-driven decision-making and strengthen stakeholder engagement in advancing sustainable river basin governance and management. #IRBMProject #WaterResources #EnvironmentalSustainability #StakeholderEngagement Global Environment Facility UNDP in Asia and the Pacific The ASEAN Secretariat

𝐏𝐄𝐌𝐒𝐄𝐀 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲! Seagrasses, flowering plants that form underwater meadows in shallow coastal waters, are widespread across the East Asian Seas (EAS) region. Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines host significant seagrass meadows along their coastlines, alongside China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Southeast Asia alone hosts 18 of the world’s 60 seagrass species and 33 percent of all seagrass areas on earth. The Philippines, Malaysia, and Viet Nam have the most diverse numbers of species, with 16, 15 and 14 kinds of seagrass, respectively. Despite their ecological and economic importance—supporting fisheries, tourism, aquaculture, and biodiversity—they face severe threats from pollution, coastal development, climate change, and other human activities.  As a part of blue carbon ecosystems, seagrasses play a critical role in carbon sequestration, climate regulation, and coastal resilience. They sequester and store substantial amounts of CO2, helping to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and protect shorelines from erosion and extreme weather events. Protecting and restoring these vital ecosystems is essential not only for maintaining biodiversity but also for supporting local communities and combating climate change. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gxJj53s4 #WorldSeagrassDay2025 #WorldSeagrassDay

Our February e-bulletin is out! 📢 Don't miss out on the latest PEMSEA updates and key milestones! This month, PEMSEA was recognized by DENR-EMB for the Marine Plastics Project in the Philippines. Learn more about the issue of "ghost nets" in the Arafura and Timor Seas, and discover how the IRBM Project’s new Grievance Redress Mechanism is promoting transparency and accountability. Beach monitoring efforts in the Philippines and Timor-Leste are promoting evidence-based strategies to tackle marine plastics, and see the updates from PEMSEA’s first Blue Carbon Technical Working Group meeting! Read our February e-bulletin now: https://lnkd.in/dwDNQ75C

📢 Happening Now! The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management Project is conducting a stakeholder validation workshop for the State of the River Basin Report (SORB) of Imus Ylang-Ylang and Rio Grande Rivers in Cavite, Philippines. This workshop convenes national, provincial, and municipal government representatives from Cavite Province to review and validate the results of analyses based on the available data for the 32 SORB indicators. UPLB Foundation, Inc. is facilitating the workshop discussions. As an indicator-based reporting system, the SORB will serve as a critical tool for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the health of these rivers. The validation process has highlighted the urgent need for stronger governance to address challenges confronting the river system. #IRBMProject #WaterResources #EnvironmentalSustainability #StakeholderEngagement Global Environment Facility UNDP in Asia and the Pacific The ASEAN Secretariat