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Seeds of change

Seven grassroot actions receive $350,000 to protect the SEA

By IW:LEARN

December 18^th, 2025

Coastal communities possess extraordinary ecological knowledge and creativity and should not be left out of the mission to save the Seas of East Asia (SEA). The effort to conserve the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand—a global center of shallow-water tropical marine biodiversity—is being redefined not only by regional cooperation and policy development, but also by the local wisdom and ingenuity of communities. Through the inaugural cohort of SEA Grants, the GEF/UNEP/UNOPS SCS SAP Project supports strong solutions on the ground, powered by the people who rely on the ocean every day, contributing to addressing global ocean crises.

A holistic and long-term perspective is crucial

The core principle of SEA Grants is simple yet strategic: conservation must be continuous and sustainable. The grants aim to solve a core problem in conservation—that projects often end when the funding runs out, by emphasizing the importance of local empowerment alongside the policy and governance framework and ensuring that selected projects have a long-term vision and commitment towards their goal.

This perspective is crucial. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Project Lead for the Women4Mangrove project in Vietnam said that they applied for SEA Grants with high hopes to support the local community in Cu Lao Dung Island in protecting the mangroves, tapping on their immense knowledge and experience. She also highlights the urgent, dual challenge as also opportunity, that necessitates local action:

"While many families still struggle to put food on the table, tidal forests are increasingly becoming more and more vulnerable to sea-level rise and salination. Working together, powered by SEA Grants, we can reduce climate risks, create sustainable livelihoods, and empower local women and marginalised groups through nature-based solutions and community-based tourism grounded in a ‘do no-harm’ approach.”

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy with one of the women-turned-ecopreneurs in Cu Lao Dung Island.

A group of innovative women led by the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) are empowering women to protect mangrove forests, nurture sustainable livelihoods, and inspire a greener, more resilient future for Cu Lao Dung.

The rigorous evaluation criteria for SEA Grants reflect this core principle, requiring that a minimum of 25% of the grant budget be dedicated to sustainability or income-generating systems.

As Anders Faaborg Poulsen, SCS SAP’s Senior Project Manager, asserts:

"SEA Grants will tackle a core problem in conservation: projects often end when the funding runs out. We are funding initiatives that will build income-generating systems and community ownership. SEA Grants ensures that conservation efforts can be continuous and sustainable."

Connecting sustainability and conservation requires a holistic perspective that integrates ecological health, community livelihoods, and local governance. SEA Grants is the SCS SAP’s initial initiative towards establishing an innovative financing mechanism to ensure lasting impact and financial sustainability beyond a project's lifetime, to shift towards regional financial self-reliance. SCS SAP welcomes parties interested in partnering towards this goal.

Hin Luk Bat Pinnacles in Koh Chang, Trat. A healthy reef is the bedrock of coastal life, providing sustenance, fuelling economies, and acting as a natural buffer against climate change impacts.Credit: Pacific Environment and Resources Center.

Meet the seven SEA Grantees

The SCS SAP Project has invested USD 350,000 into seven pilot projects, with each receiving USD 50,000 along with essential implementation support. The inaugural cohort of SEA Grants awardees directly contributes to the SAP targets on habitat protection, sustainable resource use, and pollution reduction by pioneering integrated approaches that link local economies, climate resilience, and habitat protection:

SAMAKY Organisation (Cambodia): In partnership with Khmer Ocean Life, their "Kampot Dolphin Ecotourism" project is the first of its kind in the country, securing the future of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin by turning locals, especially women and youth, into conservation-minded tour guides.
Lingshui Pioneer Community Development Centre (PCDC) (China): In Tonghai Village, PCDC creates a community-led ecotourism business. This model ensures local people, not outside developers, manage coastal resources sustainably while growing their economy.
Yayasan WeBe Konservasi Ketapang (Indonesia): In West Kalimantan, this group defends Kendawangan's vital coral reefs and mangroves by enhancing livelihoods through sustainable "blue economy" solutions like crab farming and utilizing digital technology.
Reef Check Malaysia (Malaysia): They are solving the long-term capacity gap by training "Community Marine Conservation Leaders" on the East Coast, to address coral restoration and ghost net removals. This creates a network of local experts who will monitor and manage their own reefs for years to come.
Seedcore Agri Industrial Corporation (Philippines): Their "Climate-Resilient Seaweed Farming" project in Palawan introduces a hardy new seaweed strain. This provides a profitable, climate-adaptive livelihood for vulnerable households while acting as a carbon-sequestering climate solution.
Pacific Environment (Thailand): Their marine conservation project focuses on scaling up successful community-led conservation efforts across Trat Province, setting up self-financing mechanisms that sustain the work independently.
University of Economics - Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) (Viet Nam): Women4Mangrove focuses on integrating community-based mangrove restoration and co-management practices to empower women and marginalized groups while enhancing coastal resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

Youth and fishers act as “seagrass guardians,” monitoring and reporting meadow health and threats to dugong habitat. Credit: Yayasan WeBe Konservasi Ketapang.

Dararoth Ke, Project Lead at SAMAKY Organisation, explains SEA Grants’ local impact in Cambodia:

“SEA Grants is a lifeline for low-income fishing communities. The grant will help us create a community-based fund to reinvest profits into conservation, which is crucial to transforming fishers into active stewards for the endangered Irrawaddy and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, raising conservation awareness from the local level right up to the national stage."

Support and follow the journey of the seven SEA Grants awardees on the Facebook | LinkedIn.

The Kampot Dolphin Ecotourism Project community-based ecotour transforms fishers into dolphin stewards, using profits to fund conservation and reduce bycatch, helping marine life and the Trapaeng Ropov community thrive. Credit: Khmer Ocean Life.

About the SCS SAP

Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) are productive ocean areas near continents, crucial for both the environment and coastal economies. Because LMEs face threats like pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing, they require transboundary cooperation. The "Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand" (GEF/UNEP/UNOPS SCS SAP Project) addresses these challenges in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand LMEs. Funded by the GEF and implemented by UNEP, the project unites six countries to promote sustainable management. With UNOPS support, the SCS SAP Project helps these countries achieve the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) goals through regional and national actions. This aims to maintain healthy, productive, and resilient LMEs.

For more information, contact the Senior Project Manager, Anders Poulsen (andersp@unops.org), and visit the project website (www.scssap.org).

Footnotes

Words by Khristine Custodio Gudczinsk. Cover Photo: Mangrove restoration in Tonghai Village, Haina,n turned former fishponds into thriving wetlands. These days, a SEA Grants project helps the community balance livelihoods with protectingtheir revitalisedd coastal home. Credit: Lingshui Pioneer Community Development Centre (PCDC)