Project Background
Blue Horizon: Ocean Relief through Seaweed Aquaculture is a project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and officially endorsed by the GEF CEO in July 2022. The project has been allocated USD 6 million for implementation over a four-year period (2024–2028)[1]. The institutional arrangement for the project includes WWF as the GEF Agency, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) as the Lead Regional Executing Agency (its Secretariat in Bangkok, Thailand will host the Project Management Unit (PMU), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Philippines and the Department of Fisheries and Surveillance (DFiS) of Viet Nam as the project executing partners in the Philippines and Viet Nam, respectively, and a Project Steering Committee.
The project comprises four components: 1) Regional approach and capacity for seaweed value chains in Southeast Asia; 2) Enabling Environment for Seaweed Aquaculture in the Philippines and Viet Nam; 3) Seaweed Value Chains (production, processing, and marketing); and 4) Knowledge Management, M&E, and IW Learn (regional). The SEAFDEC PMU will specifically carry out Component 1 and 4, which focus on the development of regional plans and principles of responsible seaweed aquaculture, including a toolkit to guide the application of the principles in developing standards of products, environmental protection, and operational safety. The outputs from Components 1 and 4 are expected to foster a harmonized approach across the region. Meanwhile, BFAR (Philippines) and DFiS (Viet Nam) will implement Component 2 and Component 3, which focus on the development of national components of seaweed aquaculture and its value chains.
Under Component 4, the project will facilitate the establishment of a Project Steering Committee (PSC) to serve as the oversight, advisory, and support body for the project. The PSC will consist of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (VN), Department of Agriculture (PH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (PH), Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines, and SEAFDEC. A representative (s) from WWF, as the GEF Agency, will hold an “observer status” in the Project Steering Committee.
The PSC is responsible for approving annual work plans and budgets, as well as any strategic changes, and ensures that the project remains on track to deliver tangible environmental and socio-economic benefits at both the country and regional scales. The PSC meeting sessions will be organized both virtual and in person.
In line with the framework of the project and as follow up the Inception Workshop, the Project Management Unit (PMU) will organize 1st Project Steering Committee (PSC) to discuss project implementation together with proposed PSC members from Viet Nam and the Philippines. The PMU SEAFDEC will promote gender-balanced representation within the PSC, supporting women’s engagement in leadership roles, and ensure that gender perspectives are incorporated into project planning, implementation, and evaluation.
[1] SEAFDEC’s activities will be completed within this period, while implementation in the Philippines and Viet Nam will extend to 2029.
Component 4
Knowledge Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, and IW Learn (regional)
