Vol. 9, Issue No. 9 (November 2008)
PEMSEA News
PEMSEA ICM Level 1 Model Course Launched through a Regional
ICM Training of Trainers Course
Quezon City and Batangas, Philippines "ICM is about changing the mindset." This was the focus of the
presentation by Dr. Luky Adrianto of Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia, during the ICM Level 1
Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop held in Manila and Batangas, Philippines, last 21-29 October 2008.
Dr. Adrianto stressed to his co-participants, coming from different coastal and ocean management-related
backgrounds, that one has to have an open mind and the readiness to change the mindset about ICM if the
different "brands" of coastal and ocean management are to be harmonized under one management
framework.
Twenty-five participants representing academic and research institutions and government agencies
involved in coastal management programs in five countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines,
Thailand and Vietnam, participated in the ICM model course. The training course is part of PEMSEA's
strategic approach to an integrated coastal management (ICM) capacity development program in support
of the countries' commitment to place 20 percent of the region's coastline under an ICM program by 2015.
The nine-day training workshop was designed to: 1. Enhance the participants' knowledge and skills on the
ICM concept, process, practices and application; 2. Familiarize the participants with the Framework for
Sustainable Development of Coastal Areas (SDCA); 3. Develop a core team of ICM trainers using the
newly developed ICM model courses of PEMSEA; and 4. Explore mechanisms to further strengthen ICM
capacity development in the region. The agenda for the workshop included classroom sessions, micro-
teaching sessions by the participants, and field visits to various coastal activities within the Batangas ICM
site, which also served as a vehicle for facilitating interactions between the participants and local
stakeholders and implementers from the provincial, municipal, and village-level government units, the
private sector, the community and people's organizations. Visits to a community-managed marine
protected area, a village-level waste management program, and First Gas Power Corporation, a company
that has been actively participating in environmental management programs, concretized the ICM concept
and principles presented in the classroom.
The diverse backgrounds, experiences, knowledge and skills of the participants helped enrich discussions
and enhance the ICM model course. The participants, who now form part of PEMSEA's network of
trainers, will be tapped to conduct ICM training courses in their respective countries.
The representatives from the academic and research institutions as well as those coming from ICM sites
discussed next steps in pushing the capacity-building initiatives forward. Of the 11 participating
institutions, 2 have already signed Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) with PEMSEA as partners in ICM
capacity development. These are the Xavier University and De La Salle-Lipa of the Philippines. The
representatives from the nine other academic and research institutions from Cambodia, Indonesia, the
Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam expressed interest and identified strategies for the establishment and
strengthening of ICM Learning Centers in their respective areas. The establishment of networks of
learning centers at the national and regional levels was also discussed.
The representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the
Philippines also came up with recommendations on scaling-up initiatives in the Philippines. Discussions
focused on the implementation of Executive Order 533, which adopts ICM as a national strategy for the
sustainable development of the country's coastal and marine environment and strengthening the national
ICM work program for Philippines.
The training course indeed broadened, if not changed the mindset of the participants and the trainers
themselves about how ICM may be applied to the spectrum of coastal and marine management programs
and frameworks and how ICM principles are being applied in our daily lives, without being conscious of it.
As Dr. Huming Yu, one of the main resource persons, simply puts it "ICM is a way of life."
The recently concluded Regional Training of Trainers Course is the first in a series of ICM training
courses in the region using the new ICM model training course developed by PEMSEA. National ICM
Training courses will be conducted starting 2009.
Chonburi Launches 3-year Program to Strengthen ICM
Implementation
Chonburi, Thailand The Provincial Government of Chonburi (Thailand) and PEMSEA signed a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the Scaling up of ICM Implementation in Chonburi Province on
6 October 2008 at the Chonburi Provincial Administration Office. The MOA was signed by Mr. Pracha
Taerat, Governor of Chonburi Province, and Prof. Raphael P.M. Lotilla, Executive Director of the
PEMSEA Resource Facility.
The three-year project aims to support the scaling up of ICM implementation in Chonburi with regard to
increasing the spatial coverage, strengthening the governance mechanisms to support long-term
implementation, strategic implementation of the Chonburi Coastal Strategy, and systematic development
of local capacity to sustain ICM implementation.
Mr. Wittaya Khunpluem, Chief Executive of the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization and
ICM Project Director, and Mr. Chatchai Thimkrajang, Mayor of Sriracha Municipality, which serves as
the home of the ICM Secretariat, led 150 participants representing local government members of the
Chonburi ICM Network, concerned central and local government agencies, private, commercial and
industrial sectors, the academe, nongovernmental organizations, and local communities in witnessing the
MOA signing.
Governor Taerat emphasized the need to ensure a sustainable financing mechanism for ICM, including
exploring and accessing various sources of funding support such as the central government, private sector,
donors, and other local sources. Prof. Lotilla commended Chonburi's accomplishments in implementing
ICM, particularly the cooperation and partnerships established across various sectors, and reiterated
PEMSEA's commitment to facilitate support for ICM and related efforts toward sustainable coastal
development.
In an Inception Workshop held on 7 October at the Sriracha Municipal Office, 80 participants
representing key stakeholders confirmed the project's objectives and targets, including the activities,
schedule, budget and their roles and responsibilities as outlined in the work programme. The participants
identified solid and liquid waste management and coastal erosion as priority areas in the implementation
of the Chonburi Coastal Strategy.
Another workshop held on 8 October gathered 30 participants representing potential data and information
sources for the development and implementation of a State of the Coasts (SOC) reporting system. The
SOC aims to facilitate the local government's assessment and reporting of progress and achievements in
marine and coastal management, covering both the governance aspects and the implementation of
strategic action programs. It also includes indicators related to international commitments and targets such
as the MDGs, Agenda 21, WSSD and SDS-SEA. The SOC process was initiated through the
establishment of a core working group and the adoption of a work plan.
ICM implementation in Chonburi has advanced steadily following the adoption of the Chonburi Coastal
Strategy by the provincial and local governments in 2004 as a common framework for inter-agency and
cross-sectoral collaborations for sustainable coastal development of the province. Right after the MOA
signing, Nong Prue Municipality and Plutalung Sub-district Administrative Organization signed a
declaration adopting ICM as a strategy for sustainable local development in collaboration with the
members of the Chonburi ICM Network. This brings the membership to 26 local governments, thereby
covering the entire 160-km Chonburi coastline. Various capacity development activities are being planned
to support ICM implementation in the existing sites and further promotion in other areas.
Gulf of Thailand Participating Countries Agree on a Three-year
Work Programme for Joint Oil Spill Preparedness and Response
Vung Tau City, Thailand The respective national authorities of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam have
recently adopted a three-year work programme to strengthen oil spill preparedness and response in the
Gulf of Thailand (GOT) on 3 October 2008 in Vung Tau City, Vietnam. Proposed activities at the
subregional level include the development of a subregional guideline on the use and application of
chemical dispersants for oil spills, development of a simplified coastal sensitivity map for the Gulf of
Thailand subregion and a joint oil spill exercise among the three participating countries. In addition, a
number of activities are lined up by individual countries to support the GOT Framework Programme for
Oil Spill Preparedness and Response.
The subregional meeting was preceded by a two-day workshop on the Development and Harmonization
Coastal Sensitivity Maps in the Gulf of Thailand, which highlighted sensitivity mapping initiatives and
methodologies in the Gulf. The workshop recognized the need to harmonize efforts in sensitivity mapping
and agreed to develop a simplified coastal sensitivity map for GOT where markings, symbols and color
coding will be standardized for easy and uniform understanding of the users of individual countries. The
Oil Spill Response/East Asia Response Limited (OSR/EARL), one of PEMSEA's non-Country Partners,
and the Emergency Response Division, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
supported the event. The experiences and technical guidance of Capt. Daniel Chan and Ms. Que Quihui
of OSR/EARL and Dr. Ruth Yender of NOAA were instrumental in the successful conduct of the
workshop and meeting.
ICM Experiences and Lessons Shared at EMECS-8
Shanghai, PR China PEMSEA shared its experiences in integrated coastal management programme
development and implementation during the EMECS-8 International Conference on 27-30 October 2008
in Shanghai, PR China. The Conference was organized by the International Center for the Environmental
Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas (EMECS).
"Lessons and Experiences of PEMSEA as a Regional Partnership Mechanism in Integrated Coastal
Management program development and implementation" was delivered by Ms. Kazumi Wakita of
PEMSEA during the session on Institutional Models for Regional Collaboration in Coastal Science and
Management.
The presentation featured how the Regional Partnership Mechanism of PEMSEA has evolved through the
commitment of the Partners as well as how science can be effectively incorporated into ICM programme
development and implementation.
Dr. Haruyuki Kojima, Dean of Engineering, Kyusyu Kyoritsu University, expressed that the lessons
learned over 14 years of ICM experience were well appreciated.
EMECS-8 provided PEMSEA the opportunity to further expand its network with various science
institutions, including the Land-Ocean Interactions in Coastal Zone (LOICZ) and the Yantai Institute of
Coastal Zone Research for Sustainable Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to name a few.
These institutions expressed their strong interest in future collaboration with PEMSEA on ICM and
participation in the EAS Congress 2009.
De La Salle-Lipa University and PEMSEA Formalize Partnership
for ICM Capacity-building
Quezon City, Philippines PEMSEA has once again engaged another academic institution to broaden
the ICM capacity-building and advocacy base through the establishment of learning centers. The De La
Salle-Lipa University in Batangas province has committed to providing space and manpower for an ICM
learning center that could serve the coastal municipalities and cities in the province and across the country.
De La Salle-Lipa University President, Br. Manuel Pajarillo, FSC, PhD, and PEMSEA Resource Facility
Executive Director Raphael P.M. Lotilla signed a Memorandum of Agreement to formalize the
partnership for capacity building last 16 October at the De La Salle grounds in Batangas, Philippines, in a
simple ceremony hosted by the University.
Soon after the formalization of the partnership, Mr. Ricky Magsino, an instructor from De La Salle,
represented his institution in the Regional ICM Level 1 Training of Trainers (TOT) course held last
October 2008. The early participation was designed to jumpstart the capacitating and strengthening of the
ICM Learning Center in De La Salle. Mr. Magsino was joined by representatives from 11 other academic
institutions from 5 PEMSEA participating countries who have also committed to joining PEMSEA's
network of learning centers.
Seven Chinese ICM Parallel Sites Report Significant Progress in
ICM at XWOW Workshop
Xiamen, PR China On 10-11 November 2008, seven ICM parallel sites in PR China reported their
progress in integrated coastal management (ICM) at the "National Workshop for Local Governments
Implementing ICM in P.R. China." The workshop co-organized and co-sponsored by the State Oceanic
Administration (SOA) of PR China, PEMSEA and the Municipality of Xiamen, and was held as part of
the World Ocean Week in Xiamen. Almost all sites reported developments in sea use zonation, nature
reserve development, and marine monitoring and surveillance, as well as the development of pertinent
regulations and integrated law enforcement. On the other hand, three common aspects were identified as
requiring improvement, namely interagency coordination, capacity development and financing.
PEMSEA shared information on various tools it has developed and tested recently: 1. The Framework for
Sustainable Development of Coastal Areas through ICM; 2. The State of the Coasts reporting system; 3.
The ICM Code; and 4. Financing and Investment of Environmental Infrastructure. The SOA unveiled its
plans to scale up implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-
SEA) in China including capacity development, policy development, integrated river basin and coastal
area management in Bohai Sea, Xiamen ICM phase 3, and a proposed institutional structure to lead the
initiative.
The Municipality of Xiamen shared information on its management framework, achievements and future
plans in ICM scaling up, including the implementation of a City Alliance with four upstream
municipalities along the Jiulong River regarding integrated river basin and coastal area management.
EAS Congress News
EAS Congress: Transboundary Issues as Catalysts for Cooperation
Manila, Philippines Growing populations and their migration to coastal areas, along with extensive
industrial activities and rapidly increasing shipping traffic exert tremendous pressure on East Asian
region's coastal and marine environment and natural resources. Studies show that over 80 percent of all
marine pollution originates from land-based sources while continued discharge of industrial wastes result
in toxic accumulations in the marine food chain. The EAS region is currently facing various challenges in
environmental issues that are exacerbated by the negative effects of climate change. These challenges
include: coral bleaching, mangrove deforestation, water scarcity, subregional pollution hotspots, and
habitat destruction.
Indeed, these environmental issues become even more complicated in a transboundary context that
involves international relations and mechanisms of cooperation. Although many international agreements
and conventions have been developed and various international and intergovernmental institutions have
also been established to facilitate the collaboration of countries to prevent or mitigate transboundary and
global consequences of the environmentally unsound activities, critical issues remain politically sensitive
and unresolved.
Recognizing that transboundary environmental issues are as a complex problem requiring an integrated
approach, the East Asian Congress 2009 is organizing a workshop on Addressing Transboundary Issues
Through Regional/Subregional Seas Cooperation: Initiatives in East Asia. The Workshop is expected to
bring together experts and practitioners from both within and outside the region, as well as representatives
from local and national government officials, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.
Under the Coastal and Ocean Governance theme, the workshop aims to share information on new
initiatives or programs of various regional and subregional seas initiatives in the region; outline key
transboundary issues and actions taken at the regional and subregional level and its implications; and
outline good practices and areas of collaboration between and among the regional and subregional
initiatives. Case studies are also lined up to draw upon the experiences and lessons learned of countries
and organizations.
Another topic of interest under the same theme will be the workshop on The Continental Shelf: Post-May
2009 Perspectives. Following the UN Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) deadline in May
2009, the workshop will serve as a venue for academic discussion and sharing of information/perspectives
on extended continental shelf submission claims; discuss obstacles encountered and overlapping or
conflicting claims and available options to address the conflicts; and identify areas of cooperation between
and among countries.
The EAS Congress 2009 is being hosted by the Government of the Philippines, organized by PEMSEA
and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and supported by GEF, UNDP,
UNOPS and CMC. It will be held on 23-27 November at the Philippine International Convention Center
(PICC), Manila, with the theme: "Partnerships at Work: Local Implementation and Good Practices."
Go to the International Conference section of the EAS Congress website
(http://www.pemsea.org/eascongress/international-conference) to know more about the International
Conference workshop themes and topics. To register, please go to pemsea.org/eascongress/registration.
Do you have stories, good practices or lessons learned related to this topic? Share it with us and we will
feature it in the EAS Congress website.
EAS Congress 2009: Give us your Best Shot! And Win a Trip to
Manila
Quezon City, Philippines Fond of taking pictures around your community? Hone your hobby by
joining the East Asian Seas Congress Regional Photo Contest.
Showcase your local environment initiatives and get a chance to win a week's stay in the culturally rich
and lively metropolis of Manila in the Philippines.
With the theme "The Coast, The Ocean, My Community," the Photo Contest emphasizes the importance
of turning knowledge and concern about the coastal and marine environment into on-the-ground actions.
It aims to generate awareness on local and national ocean-, coastal-, and environment-related initiatives of
each country and to increase participation of the communities in these activities.
To join, simply send in photos that demonstrate actions and good practices in coastal and ocean
protection, development and management such as eco-friendly fishing practices, beach cleanups and
mangrove planting activities.
Three Grand Prizewinners (one from each category: Youth, Hobbyist and Professional) will each receive
an HP F4185 Printer and a trip to Manila (including airfare and accommodations) to attend the 2009 EAS
Congress to be held on 23-27 November 2009.
Winning entries will be featured in the EAS Congress 2009 exhibition and published in the Tropical
Coasts Magazine and 2010 PEMSEA calendar.
Go to the EAS Congress website (http://www.pemsea.org/eascongress) for more details, the contest rules
and the official entry form.
NOWPAP Leads EAS Congress Workshop on Transboundary
Pollution in River Basins
Jeju, RO Korea The Northwest Pacific Action Plan's Pollution Monitoring Regional Activity Centre
(NOWPAP-POMRAC) has agreed to co-convene a workshop in the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress
2009 to share experiences in developing and implementing its Integrated Coastal and River-basin
Management (ICARM). ICARM is NOWPAP's key project that is designed to promote closer
cooperation at the management level between the freshwater, coastal, and ocean communities.
Under the Pollution Reduction and Waste Management theme, the workshop "Transboundary Pollution
Reduction in River Basins and Coastal Areas" will be a follow through topic of the EAS Congress 2006
session on Local Government Financing for Water, Sewage and Sanitation. The 2009 Congress will
provide an opportunity to learn about on-the-ground good practices in the NOWPAP, East Asian Seas
and other regions on transboundary pollution reduction through integrated management approaches, and
experiences on integrating pollution reduction measures and tools in river basin management among
established river basin management programs and areas that are starting the process.
The workshop will include an interactive session for dynamic interaction between participants and
presenters to discuss potential investment opportunities for pollution reduction and promote appropriate
financing arrangements among project proponents, financial institutions and private sector groups. Dr.
Anatoly Kachur, POMRAC Director, has agreed to closely coordinate with PEMSEA with the
development of the programme.
The Congress 2009 international conference is comprised of 6 major themes including a. Coastal and
Ocean Governance; b. Natural and Man-made Hazard Prevention and Management; c. Habitat
Protection, Restoration and Management; d. Water Use and Supply Management; e. Food Security and
Livelihood Management; and f. Pollution Reduction and Waste Management. Organizations who are
interested to co-convene workshop sessions can contact the congress@pemsea.org for details.