In the quiet coastal village of Barangay Bogtong, located on the island of Busuanga in Palawan — the Philippines last ecological frontier — the rhythm of life is intertwined with the tide.

For the over 1,200 residents of Bogtong, the green belt of mangrove forests is more than just scenery; it is their "bioshield," their nursery, and their supermarket.

Following the catastrophic impact of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which left a trail of damaged ecosystems, the community realized that their survival depended on the health of these salt-tolerant trees.

Today, with the support of the GEF/UNEP/UNOPS Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand (SCS SAP), Bogtong has emerged as a modest beacon of community-led restoration.

The Third Meeting of the Regional Scientific and Technical Committee (RSTC-3) for the SCS SAP Project was successfully convened in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, from 26–28 January 2026. This pivotal gathering, opened by representatives from UNEP and UNOPS, focused on the critical task of reviewing draft Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) reports and documenting over a decade of environmental achievements.

The meeting served as a primary platform for the presentation and review of six national and one regional draft TDA reports, which provide the scientific foundation for updating the Strategic Action Programme (SAP). Rather than formal exercises, the committee engaged in robust group discussions to rank transboundary environmental problems and ensure future priorities are grounded in rigorous data. Additionally, the Regional Task Force on Economic Valuation (RTF-EV) introduced the approach for Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) to evaluate the potential impact of prioritized actions versus the cost of inaction.

On 19 January 2026,  attendees representing national ministries, consultants, technical focal points, and provincial departments from Cambodia’s coastal provinces participated in the SCS SAP critical workshop in Kampot Province, Cambodia.

The workshop conducted included presenting Cambodia’s contribution to the regional Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) findings emphasizing on the country’s land-based pollution(LbP) sources such as nutrients, solid waste, wastewater, and plastics. Discussion regarding the impacts, sources, pathways, and their transboundary relevance were reviewed. From this, plenary feedback sessions were conducted to gather stakeholders’ inputs on data gaps, monitoring challenges, and institutional constraints relevant to Cambodia’s contribution to the TDA on land-based pollution. 

Dear SCS SAP Colleagues and Friends,

As 2025 concludes, on behalf of the Project Coordination Unit (PCU), I want to reflect on a truly pivotal and impactful year for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand (SCS-GOT) Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs). This year was defined by critical decisions, invaluable in-person collaboration, and the meaningful expansion of our growing SCS SAP family.

Evaluating progress and setting priorities

Our year began with the Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) in the first quarter, which was critical for defining the path toward a successful and sustainable project conclusion. The MTE process resulted in key recommendations, including a project extension until December 2027 and a decision to further integrate our activities with the COBSEA.

The SCS SAP Third Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Land-Based Pollution (RWG-LbP) took place from November 26-28, 2025, in Batam, Indonesia. Objectives include reviewing the overall status and progress of the SCS SAP Project implementation at regional and national levels.

Members from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam presented the status and achievements of land-based pollution activities at the national level, including the development and updating of national Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) on pollution reports and data needs.

Seven community-based organisations across the East Asian Seas have been awarded a total of USD 350,000 through the SEA Grants program to protect and conserve marine and coastal ecosystems in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand.

The health of the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand faces immense pressure from land-based pollution, making the upcoming Third Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Land-Based Pollution (RWG-LbP) in Batam, Indonesia (26-28 November 2025) a pivotal event. This meeting is critical for the SCS SAP Project ("Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand") as it drives coordinated regional action against one of the basin's most significant environmental threats.

The powerful, yet often under-recognized, force in environmental stewardship is the focus of the GEF/UNEP/UNOPS SCSSAP Project this International Day of Rural Women on 15 October. Across the globe, it is rural women in coastal and sea resource management whose firsthand knowledge and tireless labor prove absolutely vital to the health of the world's oceans and the livelihoods of their communities.