Bangkok (November 7, 2025) – 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.

Coastal communities in this region, a global centre of shallow-water tropical marine biodiversity, are facing increasing threats from environmental degradation, pollution and climate change. SEA Grants seek to directly empower local action to combat these threats.

“SEA Grants will tackle a core problem in conservation: projects often end when the funding runs out,” said Anders Faaborg Poulsen, Senior Project Manager, Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand project (also known as the South China Sea project). “We are funding initiatives that will build income-generating systems and community ownership. SEA Grants ensures that conservation efforts can be continuous and sustainable.”

The awardees, forming the program’s inaugural cohort, will each get USD 50,000, along with crucial implementation support, for each of their community-based conservation projects – to be implemented over a duration of up to 18 months, focusing on blue economy solutions, habitat restoration, climate resilience, and marine governance.

Projects were selected from a strong pool of applicants through a rigorous evaluation criteria with importance placed on the ratio of the grant (a minimum of 25 per cent of the budget) dedicated to sustainability or income-generating systems.

“This funding is a lifeline for low-income fishing communities,” said Dararoth Ke, Project Lead at SAMAKY Organisation, one of the program beneficiaries. “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.”

The following organisations make up the first SEA Grants cohort:

• SAMAKY Organisation (Cambodia): Their “Kampot Dolphin Ecotourism” project is the first of its kind in the country that is securing the future of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin by turning locals, especially women and youth, into conservation-minded tour guides.
• Lingshui Pioneer Community Development Center (PCDC) (China): In Tonghai Village, PCDC is creating 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): This group is defending 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, addressing coral restoration and ghost net removals. This creates a network of local experts who can 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 also acting as a carbon-sequestering climate solution.
• Pacific Environment (Thailand): This project focuses on scaling up successful community-led conservation efforts across Trat Province, ensuring long-term impact by setting up self-financing mechanisms that sustain the work independently.
• University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) (Viet Nam): The project focuses on integrating community-based mangrove restoration and co-management practices to enhance coastal resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

These initiatives directly contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea (SCS SAP) targets on habitat protection, sustainable resource use (including fisheries), and pollution reduction.

“Community-level action is non-negotiable for lasting environmental change,” said Isabelle Vanderbeck, GEF International Waters Task Manager at UNEP. “Giving local communities the opportunity to address locally habitat degradation and land-based pollution directly and contribute to the regional agenda including meeting the SAP targets is empowering them as agents of change and ensure that conservation is also driven by the very people who rely on the ocean.”

“UNOPS is focused on ensuring the transparent and effective allocation of these vital funds,” added Katrin Lichtenberg, Portfolio Manager, Water Environment Climate, UNOPS. “SEA Grants will boost the conservation efforts of community-based projects that build sustainability and income-generating systems into their design, to continue to yield benefits for both the environment and local populations long into the future.”

The program is part of the South China Sea project that is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the UN Environment Programme in partnership with UNOPS.

About the SCS SAP Project

The “Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand” (GEF/UNEP/UNOPS SCS SAP Project) addresses challenges in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand LMEs. The project aims to maintain healthy, productive, and resilient LMEs by promoting sustainable management and regional cooperation.

About the GEF

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) includes several multilateral funds working together to address the planet’s most pressing challenges in an integrated way. Its financing helps developing countries address complex challenges and work towards meeting international environmental goals. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $26 billion in financing, primarily as grants, and mobilized another $153 billion for country-driven priority projects.

About the UN Environment Programme

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

About UNOPS

UNOPS’ mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. We help the United Nations, governments, and other partners to manage projects and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way.

For more information, please contact:  

Samwel Adawo, Communication Specialist, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Khristine Gudczinski, Digital Communication and Knowledge Management Specialist, SCS SAP Project

Ramona LUPU, Communication Specialist, UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office