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Strategic action in South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand in full swing

GEF / UNEP SCS SAP project

By IW:LEARN

June 22^nd, 2023

The South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand are two of the world’s 66 large marine ecosystems found in Southeast Asia.

The South China Sea is a significant economic and strategic marine hub in the world. The livelihoods of millions of people, a third of the global maritime transport, and more than half of the world’s fishing vessels depend on its waters. These massive economic activities also put pressure and threaten the state of the South China Sea which need to be managed to sustain its tremendous ecological and economic benefits.

The Gulf of Thailand is one of the inlets and shores that surround the South China Sea. It is threatened by recurring red tides (aka dead zones) because of pollution, oil spills, and is susceptible to invasive species which impacts marine biodiversity. The leaching of chemicals and heavy metals from land through the rivers of Thailand contributes to marine pollution.

With funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the project “Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand” (SCS SAP Project) is leading in achieving the agreed targets outlined in the Strategic Action Programme which aims to restore and conserve these two large marine ecosystems. In late 2022, the governments of Cambodia through its Ministry of Environment (MOE), PR China through the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and Thailand through the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, signed the cooperation agreements with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) signalling the execution of project activities at both national and site level into full motion.

Yellow scuba dive boat on still blue waters on Koh Tao, Thailand. Photo: Emmeli M. / Unsplash.

Here are the key milestones, to date, achieved under the Strategic Action Programme:

Project inception workshops, coordination and consultations with implementing partners, universities, local partners and stakeholders have taken place. Site visits and monitoring of the state of marine and coastal ecosystems, data gathering, assessments and surveys, and other activities are ongoing.

National reports on the achievements of the Strategic Action Programme for the years 2008-2021 are underway, demonstrating country commitments to implement some SAP priorities without GEF funding during that period.

Documentation of best practices on habitats, fisheries, and land-based pollution management is ongoing.

Strategic action in South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand in full swing

Cambodia

Established and endorsed the project’s working groups, namely: Inter-ministerial decision-making group; National Technical Coordination working group (NTWG); Specialised executive sub-working groups for each habitat (mangrove, coral reefs, seagrass, and wetlands) by the Minister of the Ministry of Environment on 27 January 2023
Field visits to four provinces, namely Kep, Kampot, Sihanouk, and Koh Kong, to inform and consult with the Provincial Departments of Environment about the project and selected sites, on 22-29 January 2023.

Project inception workshop was conducted on 27 February 2023, officially launching the project at national and project site levels. 53 project stakeholders, including members of the NTWG and all the habitats focal points, participated in the workshop. The workshop aimed to: 1) present and update the project’s overview and execution status; 2) present the memberships and roles and responsibilities of the newly endorsed project working groups and sub-working groups; and 3) discuss and collect inputs from stakeholders in pursuit of a smooth implementation of the project.
Signed sub-agreement between the MOE and Fisheries Administration (FiA) on 15 March 2023 to designate the execution of the activities for coral reefs and seagrass.

PR China

Conducted seagrass survey at the Xincun and Lian Sites in Hainan Province, China, on 1-4 February 2023. The seagrass ecosystem of the Xincun and Lian sites are mainly distributed in the seagrass special protected area covering a large amount of seagrass. The surveys assessed the seagrass communities, macrobenthos, seawater quality, sediment, and major pollution sources. Further research and analyses will be conducted to provide input to finding the right solutions to the challenges as well as policy development and implementation towards the sustainable management of seagrass ecosystems at the sites.
Conducted site visit in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hainan Province to promote the implementation of project activities on 27 February-2 March 2023 and 17-19 April 2023 respectively. The sites visited include the Maoweihai wetland site, Hepu, Lian and Xincun seagrass sites, and Dong Zhai Gang National Nature Reserve mangrove site. Meetings were held with the local Department of Ecology and Environment and Bureau of Ecology and Environment, and Guangxi Marine Environment Monitoring Center respectively. The state of seagrass growth, including the pilot project of seagrass planting to restore the seagrass community and a pilot project on ecological treatment of aquacultural tail water, review of activity progress, and other issues and the actions that need to be taken to solve the problem have been the focus of the site visits. Additionally, policy recommendations were put forward to eliminate challenges on wetland ecosystem protection. The local authorities raised interest and concerns on blue carbon management and performance evaluation for coastal ecosystem management.
Signed contracts with partners on the implementation of activities led by the project coordinating agency (PCA). These contracts include: 1) the monitoring and assessing biodiversity and mangrove ecosystem at Shankou site and research on policy recommendations on enrichment planting to restore biodiversity for the reserve with the Marine Environmental Monitoring Center signed on 9 January 2023; and 2) conducting a survey and assessment of the state of seagrass bed ecosystem at Liuishanwan and Yifengxi Sites with Shantou University signed on 6 March 2023.
Conducted a workshop on the implementation of the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand Strategic Action Plan in Nanning, Guangxi: http://sthjt.gxzf.gov.cn/zwxx/gzdt/t15895738.shtml

Thailand

Organized a series of online inception meetings for six local implementing offices working on eleven sites from 23-25 November and 19 December 2022 to ensure partners have comprehensive understanding of the project at both regional and national level, and the relevance of the activities to be conducted at their sites.
Established the project implementation committee by the Director General to ensure budget management are in line with the workplan activities and planned outcomes.
Established the Don Hoi Lot Razor Clam Conservation Group and working on formalizing its legal registration at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.
Conducted surveillance in several sites, including at the Welu River (Mangroves), Si Chang (Coral Reef), Koh Lan and Phai (Coral Reef), Koh Tao (Coral Reef), Koh Kra (Coral Reef), and Don Hoi Lot (Wetland).
Visited and conducted consultations with six local DMCR offices to discuss and validate the site activities and execution arrangements and any issues, as well as meeting with local communities.

Cosy morning on Koh Tao. Photo: AR / Unsplash.

About the GEF / UNEP SCS SAP Project

The project “Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand” (SCS SAP Project) is funded by the GEF and implemented by UNEP. The project aims to assist countries in meeting the targets of the coastal and marine environment components of the approved Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the South China Sea through the implementation of the National Action Plans in support of the SAP, and to strengthen the regional coordination for the South China Sea SAP implementation.

The SCS SAP Project will be implemented for five years and executed with the support of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in partnership with the Environment Ministries of Cambodia, PR China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.