3B Meeting Room

ST 2.14: China-ASEAN Marine Ecosystem Protection and Restoration Symposium

Overview

The Fourth Institute of Oceanography (4IO), also known as China-ASEAN Countries Joint Research and Development Center of Marine Science and Technology and Guangxi Marine Development Institute, is directly affiliated to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China. 4IO is committed to serving the construction of national marine ecological civilization, contributing to the Initiative of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and promoting the high-quality development of the sea-oriented economy of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. 4IO focuses on the key tasks of supporting the construction of the marine ecological civilization in Beibu Gulf and facilitating marine sci-tech exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries.

With economic globalization and social development, ocean ecological and environmental issues have become significant factors affecting the sustainable development of countries and regions. Both China and ASEAN countries face ecological and environmental problems such as the decline of biodiversity, coastal degradation, and the deterioration of the structure and function of marine ecosystems, necessitating joint cooperation to seek solutions.

Program Objectives:

Jointly explore the latest technologies and methods for the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems, share experiences and successful cases, and explore opportunities and directions for cooperation.

Programme:

TIME AGENDA
Opening Ceremony

·         Host:Guan Yao, Fourth Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources

Opening Remarks

1.      Remarks By the Third Institute of Oceanography, MNR

2.      Remarks By National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service, MNR

3.      Remarks By Island Research Center, MNR

4.      Remarks By the Fourth Institute of Oceanography, MNR

Group Photo
Public Goods Release and Signing Ceremony

1.         Public Goods Release: China-ASEAN Marine Science, Technology and Industry Development Report 2024

2.         Signing Ceremony: Fourth Institute of Oceanography, MNR and Prince of Songkla University, Thailand

Thematic Reports

1.         Exploration of Mangrove Carbon Sink Pathways and Blue Carbon Trading Models

·         Speaker:Chen Guangcheng, Research Fellow of Third Institute of Oceanography, MNR.

2.         Construction of Marine Nature Reserves in China

·         Speaker:Zeng Jiangning, Researcher of the Second Institute of Oceanography, MNR

3.         Operational service for Marine Hazard Assessment and Mitigation

·         Speaker:Zhang Yao, Senior Research Scientist of National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service, MNR

4.         Conservation genetics to improve biodiversity and resource management

·         Speaker:Dang Thuy Binh, Senior Lecturer of the Institute of Biology and Environment, Nha Trang University

5.         Marine environmental protection and blue economy development in Cambodia

·         Speaker:Meas Rithy, Deputy director of Department of Coastal Zone Marine Conservation, Ministry of Environment

6.         Myanmar Experiences in Managing the Challenges and Opportunities of Mangroves Ecosystem

·         Speaker:Nang Mya Han, Marine Science Department, University of Myeik

7.         Seaweed Farming for Sustainable Development Goals in Blue Economy context

·         Speaker:Maya Puspita, Head of Research and Development, Indonesian Seaweed Association

ST 2.1: Strategic collaboration in tackling the Triple Planetary Crises in the East Asian Seas Region – Climate Change and Marine Impacts; Nature and Marine Biodiversity Loss; Marine Pollution

Overview

The world is facing multiple planetary crises, including climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution – often referred to as the “Triple Planetary Crises” (TPC). Addressing these challenges requires integrated and comprehensive solutions, as solving the challenges separately in a “one-by-one” approach is not sufficient given the urgency of the situation. Furthermore, some solutions to one of the crises may negatively impact others. And some solutions can – if designed and implemented well – contribute to several crises all at once. Such trade-offs and synergies must be identified and coordinated.

The countries around the East Asian Seas have joined the global community and committed to solving climate change and biodiversity challenges as well as the complex issue of marine pollution. These include addressing global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolutions, as well as regional and sub-regional commitments, such through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

One of the essential approaches to solving these challenges will be building partnerships amongst different stakeholders. Many organizations and projects are working on various aspects of marine and coastal management in the East Asian Seas. Far too many activities and projects are implemented in isolation; with comprehensive coordination of initiatives across organizations, projects, and thematic areas being the exception rather than the norm. It is critical that these efforts are coordinated amongst stakeholders to eliminate duplications and explore synergies with the aim to optimize the use of limited financial and human resources. This coordination is often challenged by different governance modalities across existing mechanisms – there is a need to discuss and identify clear synergies and opportunities for embarking on coordinated approaches in addressing marine challenges in the East Asian Seas region.

This session will focus on the efforts of regional marine environmental institutions in promoting coordination and collaboration for the sustainable governance of the East Asian Seas region. The session will bring together strategic partners and stakeholders, including PEMSEA, IUCN, IOC-WESTPAC, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, Coral Triangle Initiative, amongst others, to move towards a future where coordination and integration is standard.

Objective

The overall aim of the session is to encourage collaborative efforts amongst regional marine organizations in the East Asian Seas to address the triple planetary crises.

Format

Part One will provide a background on the triple planetary crises and the efforts of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in addressing this complex issue in the marine and coastal ecosystems of the East Asian Seas. Focus will be on the Regional Seas Programme, the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), and the UNEP/GEF South China Seas – Strategic Action Programme (SCS-SAP) Project. The discussions will demonstrate the increasing working partnership between COBSEA and the SCS-SAP Project, exploring synergies and complementarities, and collaborative opportunities on the development and updating of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) – Strategic Action Programme (SAP), knowledge management, regional governance and regional working group collaboration, as well as the implementation of the COBSEA Strategic Directions 2023-2027.

Part Two will extend the discussion with other regional marine organizations in the East Asian Seas through a panel and workshop session. Organizations will be invited to present their experiences and thoughts in regional partnerships, how to capitalize the competencies of each organization, requirements to establish this partnership, such as science-policy interface, engagements, institutional structure, and resources.

Finally, Part Three will invite the audience to engage in the conversation, bring in their additional thoughts, and ask questions to the panelists. The workshop will end with agree ways forward.

Expected Output/s:

  • Roadmap towards a potential collaborative effort for regional marine organizations to address the triple planetary crises.
  • Working paper on this collaborative effort, including timeline, objectives, and activities.

The discussions of this EAS Congress session are expected to be expanded further in the “Our Ocean Conference” in Busan, Republic of Korea, in April 2025, and presented in the “Third UN Ocean Conference” (UNOC3) in Nice, France, in June 2025, as a regional contribution from the East Asian Seas region

Programme

TIME AGENDA
1430 – 1445

 

Welcome Remarks and Introduction

  • Dr. Vann Monyneath, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia and Chair of the EAS Partnership Council

Group Photo

PART ONE – Setting the Scene
1445 – 1455

 

The Triple Planetary Crises (TPC) in the context of the East Asian Seas region – moving towards integrated approaches

  • Ms. Margarita Victoria Caballa, Project Management Specialist and COBSEA lead on Marine and Coastal Ecosystems
1455 – 1505

 

The UNEP Regional Seas Programme, COBSEA Strategic Directions and the TPC

  • Mr. Mahesh Pradhan, Coordinator, COBSEA
1505 – 1515

 

SCS-SAP Project and the TPC

  • Mr. Anders Poulsen, Senior Project Manager, SCS-SAP Project
1515 – 1525

 

A vision for the future  –  The COBSEA-SCS-SAP Partnership

  • Mr. Anders Poulsen and Mr. Mahesh Pradhan
1525 – 1540 Break
PART TWO – Panel Discussion and Workshop
1540 – 1640 Establishing a collaborative Partnership on addressing the Triple Planetary Crises in the East Asian Seas

  • Ms. Aimee Gonzales, Executive Director, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
  • Ms. Maeve Nightingale, Senior Program Officer, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
  • Ms. Mi-Jin Lee, Research Associate, North-East Asian Marine Protected Area Network (NEAMPAN)
  • Dr. Vo Si Tuan, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission – Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (IOC-WESTPAC)
  • Ms. Claudia Binondo, Division Director, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB)
PART THREE – Engaging with Audience and Next Steps
1640 – 1720 Discussion and Q&A with the panelists

  • Ms. Margarita Victoria Caballa
1720 – 1730 Conclusions and way forward

  • Mr. Anders Poulsen and Mr. Mahesh Pradhan

 

 

ST 1.7: State of River Basin Reporting: Establishing the Baseline and Mechanism to Track Progress in the Source to Sea Continuum

Introduction

The conduct of baseline assessment of the Source-to-Sea (S2S) management continuum with a targeted outcome of improving understanding of governance, socioeconomic, ecological conditions, gaps and needs of priority river basins/sub-basins and associated coastal areas through the State of River Basin (SORB) reporting system is one of the major outcomes of the implementation 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 the ASEAN Countries. The SORB reporting system aims to:

  1. Establish baseline conditions in a river basin/associated coastal area prior to the startup of the IRBM program, including changes that are climate related;
  2. Assess progress, achievements and shortcomings of ongoing IRBM programs by determining changing conditions with respect to governance and social and economic conditions, including gender gaps as well as trends and/or emerging environmental issues; and
  3. Develop recommendations for continual improvement of IRBM programs including recommendations on ensuring gender responsiveness and incorporating gender equality, where appropriate for consideration by national and local governments and other relevant stakeholders in each river basin/coastal

This session aims to:

  1. Launch the State of River Basin reporting as a monitoring instrument to support river basin management in the ASEAN region;
  2. Share the process in developing the SORB Guidebook and the experiences and lessons learned in the preparation of the SORB Reports in selected priority river basins in ASEAN countries; and
  3. Discuss strategies in promoting the wider application of the SORB in the ASEAN Region and its institutionalization as a regular reporting process for IRBM programs of national and local governments in the region.

Target Participants

  1. United Nations Development Programme
  2. Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat
  3. Chair of ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management
  4. Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
  5. 6 ASEAN Member States (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam)
  6. RPMU (PRF)

Programme:

TIME AGENDA
Session 1: Launching of the State of River Basin Reporting System

  • Master of Ceremony: Ms. Orange Happee Omengan, Communication/KM Specialist
14:30 – 14:32 Preliminaries

  • Master of Ceremony
14:32 – 14:42 Introduction on the Guidebook for the State of River Basin Reporting

  • Nancy Bermas, Regional Project Manager, IRBM Project, PRF
14:42 – 15:00 Messages from Partners

  • Dr. Akiko Yamamoto, Regional Team Leader, Environment Team, Asia and the Pacific, UNDP, Bangkok Regional Hub
  • Dr. Nam So, Senior Environment Officer, Environment Division, ASEAN Secretariat
  • Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, AWGWRM Chair and Director General, Department of Water Resources, MONRE, Lao PDR
  • Mr. Thiv Sophearith, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia
  • Mr. Bui Ngoc Anh, Director, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Quang Nam, Viet Nam

Group photo

Session 2: State of River Basin Reporting: Establishing the Baseline and Mechanism to Track Progress in the Source-to-Sea Continuum

  • Chair: Dr. Akiko Yamamoto, Regional Team Leader, Environment Team, Asia and the Pacific, UNDP, Bangkok Regional Hub
15:00 – 15:05 Introduction to the Session

  • Dr. Akiko Yamamoto, Regional Team Leader, Environment Team, Asia and the Pacific, UNDP, Bangkok Regional Hub
15:05 – 15:15 Overview of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN IRBM Project and the State of River Basin Reporting

  • Ms. Nancy Bermas, Regional Project Manager IRBM Project, PRF
15:15 – 15:25 Developing the SORB Reporting System – Process, Challenges and Lessons Learned (Regional Perspective)

  • Dr. Pham Ngoc Bao, Deputy Director, Adaptation and Water Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
Developing the SORB Reporting System – Process, Challenges and Lessons Learned (National/River Basin-level Perspectives)
15:25 – 15:35 Kampong Bay River Basin, Cambodia

  • Dr. Hin Lyhour, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia
15:35 – 15:45 Nam Tha River Basin, Lao PDR

  • Dr. Keoduangchai Keokhamphui / Mr. Thanongxay Douangnoulak Department of Water Resources, Lao PDR
15:45 – 15:55 Imus-Ylang Ylang-Rio Grande Rivers, Philippines

  • Ms. Anabelle Cayabyab, Head, Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, Cavite, Philippines
15:55 – 16:05 Pasac-Guagua Watershed

  • Ms. Irene Marie Villar, Assistant Department Head, Provincial Government-Environment and Natural Resources Office Pampanga, Philippines
16:05 – 16:15 Open Forum
Session 3: Interactive Discussion

  • Chair: Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, AWGWRM Chair and Director General, Department of Water Resources, MONRE, Lao PDR
16:15 – 16:20 Mechanics, objectives and expected outputs

Chair

16:20 – 17:00 Interactive Discussion

  • What needs to be improved in the SORB reporting process: experiences from baseline SORB report development
  • How do we institutionalize the SORB reporting as a regular process for IRBM programs of national and local governments
  • How do we replicate and promote its wider application in the ASEAN region

Facilitators:

Group 1:

  • Dr. Hin Lyhour
  • Mr. Chandath Him

Group 2:

  • Dr. Keoduangchai Keokhamphui
  • Mr. Ben Patrick Soliguin

Rapporteurs

  • Ms. Nancy Bermas
  • Ms. Daisy Padayao
17:00 – 17:20 Presentation of Group Outputs

  • Rapporteurs
17:20 – 17:30 Wrap-up and Synthesis

  • Chair