ADB's CTI Southeast Asia Program Holds Regional Inception Workshop

The Asian Development Bank and the Global Environment Facility held a regional inception workshop for its Coastal and Marine Resources Management in the Coral Triangle - Southeast Asia (CTI Southeast Asia) Project in Bandung, Indonesia on 18-19 October 2012. CTI-CFF Executive Chair Dr. Suseno Sukoyono noted that the project needs to strengthen collaboration and partnerships in order to implement projects at the ground level. He encouraged everyone to learn from existing projects in the region, cooperate, and share information.

During the workshop, the project's team leader Mr. Guillermo L. Morales led the discussions which confirmed regional priorities set during the design stage and identified national and regional activities for funding. He also discussed potential collaboration with other institutions and organizations in the target sites where the regional projects will be implemented. These regional activities include vulnerability assessment of coastal marine resources and climate change adaptation in coastal communities, addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing of coral reef fishes, specifically groupers and wrasses; and establishment of a network of marine protected areas.

National CTI coordinating committee members from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines attended the two-day workshop including the project management consultants and development partners and potential collaborators from the USAID's US CTI Support Program, WorldFish Center and GIZ.