The activities of the SCS SAP Project are strategically designed to translate the foundational vision of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) into measurable, on-the-ground change, effectively reversing environmental degradation trends across the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Our activities move beyond planning by addressing the core threats to these marine and coastal ecosystems: habitat loss, pollution, and fragmented governance.
SCS SAP’s interventions are structured to create tangible, local benefits while building the regional capacity necessary for long-term impact:
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Addressing critical threats: Our work focuses on direct stress reduction across over 1.8 million hectares of priority coastal habitats, including mangrove reforestation, coral reef conservation, and improved seagrass management. These site-based solutions are critical for halting the severe decadal loss rates impacting these ecosystems.
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Enhancing future resilience: Activities are concentrated on deploying the updated regional strategy to frame our response based on the planetary crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. This ensures all actions are underpinned by the latest science and a shared regional consensus.
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Ensuring sustainability: Our ultimate goal is to facilitate regional integration and cooperation. In partnership with governments and various stakeholders in the six participating countries, we work towards establishing financing mechanisms and institutional links needed for project outcomes to endure long after GEF funding ends.
Every activity, from a community workshop on sustainable fishing to a national endorsement of the SAP, is a targeted effort to improve the current ecological state and secure the environmental future of this globally significant marine basin.
Here are the major deliverables the SCS SAP are undertaking, with an update on recent reported progress:
