News Update

The East Asian Initiative on Clean Oceans (EASICO) organized the first workshop on "Collective Impact Approach on Reducing Marine Debris last June 13-16, 2022 at Jayakarta Hotel, Labuan Bajo, West-Manggarai, Flores Island, Indonesia. It was hosted by the Indonesian Waste Platform (IWP) and attended by EASICO partners from Republic of Korea, Philippines, Vietnam and stakeholders from Labuan Bajo, Komodo Island, Papagaran Island and Mesa Island. They include: Our Sea of East Asia Network (OSEAN), represented by its Director, Dr. Sunwook Hong; Centre for Supporting Green Development (GreenHub), represented by Project Manager Ms. Ha Ngan Ha; International Coastal Cleanup – Philippines (ICC-PH) led by Mr. Geronimo P. Reyes- ICC National Coordinator; and the Indonesian Waste Platform (IWP), represented by its founder, Ms. Nina van Toulon. During the workshop, participants exchanged knowledge, expertise, experiences and challenges encountered related to their efforts in combating marine debris.

The four-day workshop focused on the following topics which are directly related to IWP interventions in and around Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park: "SDG 17 International Collaboration", "Cross-Boundary Networking and Capacity Building on Marine Litter & Citizen Science", "Comprehensive Community-Based Solid Waste Management in Island Fishing Communities" and "Measures to Prevent Marine Litter, Interventions and Policies".

The workshop program includes a combination of theory, discussions and sharing, field work and field trips which allowed participants to gain insights in the area where Indonesian Waste Platform team implements their programs to mitigate the impact of marine pollution.

The workshop in Indonesia is the first of the three (3) workshops that EASICO is organizing with OSEAN and PEMSEA as the principal sponsors. In 2023, the 2^nd EASICO Workshop will be held in Vietnam while the third workshop in 2024 will be conducted in the Philippines.