On November 17, 2025, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) presided over the meeting to review the draft National Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) report under the "Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand (SCS SAP Project)."
The meeting was attended by DMCR executives, the SCS SAP's National Coordinator and a team of National Experts specializing in various fields, along with DMCR officials, at the Coral Meeting Room, 6th Floor, DMCR.
This meeting focused on operations under the SCS-SAP project, which aims to support participating countries in achieving the targets of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) through the implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs) and to strengthen regional cooperation. The TDA/SAP process involves identifying and analyzing transboundary environmental problems, their root causes, and impacts. Additionally, it prioritizes activities to address these root causes. The updated TDA/SAP serves as a key output of the SCS-SAP project and will be subsequently presented at the regional level.
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 SCS SAP Project is co-organizing a crucial learning exchange and study tour with the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) from 16-18 September 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. This collaborative event, held in conjunction with the annual PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) meeting, marks a significant step towards strengthening coastal and marine resource management in the East Asian Seas region.
Every year, on 12 August, the world celebrates International Youth Day, acknowledging the power of young people in translating global goals into local actions.
With the theme "Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond," International Youth Day 2025 highlights the significant role of youth in achieving a sustainable future. Across the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs), young people are not only beneficiaries of change but are its driving force, actively participating in efforts to protect our coastal and marine environments. Their creativity, energy and deep community ties are bridging the gap between high-level policy and grassroots action, and the now with the future.
- Theme: Gender, Mangroves
After nearly four years, the SCS SAP Project Regional Working Groups (RWG) on coastal and marine ecosystems, namely Coral Reefs, Mangroves, Seagrass, and Wetlands, is finally moving from virtual meetings to an on-the-ground gathering. Taking place in Iloilo City, Philippines from 11-12 August 2025, this meeting marks a pivotal moment for the project. It is our first in-person gathering for the RWGs since the inaugural virtual meetings in December 2021.
The SCS SAP Project assist countries in meeting the targets of the approved Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the marine and coastal environment of the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand through implementation of the National Action Plans in support of the SAP, and strengthening regional co-ordination for South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand SAP implementation
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