Mangrove experts, policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders gathered last Wednesday, June 18, 2025, for the “Mangrove Blue Carbon Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond: A Science-Policy Forum towards Future-proofing Livelihoods and Technologies to Conserve Mangroves” hosted by the UPLB Forestry Development Center. The forum served as a vital platform for knowledge exchange on blue carbon policies and strategies in the Philippines.
Keynote presentations on mangrove blue carbon research, technologies, livelihood, and financing were delivered by leading experts from various institutions, including Dr. Severino G. Salmo III (University of the Philippines Diliman), Dr. Ariel C. Blanco (Philippine Space Agency), Dr. Yasmin P. Tirol (Aklan State University), Ms. Ma. Josella Pangilinan (Wetlands International Philippines), and Dr. Gopalasamy Reuben Clements (Zoological Society of London). Our very own project leader, Dr. Salmo, discussed the Philippines’ Mangrove Blue Carbon Roadmap and its alignment with the country’s Nationally determined Contribution (NDC) under the UNFCCC. He underscored the need to standardize the country’s blue carbon assessment methods and to institutionalize the blue carbon roadmap as some of the vital steps towards achieving the country’s NDC.
In the afternoon, the forum’s participants were divided into sectoral groups for a workshop where they shared their insights, identified gaps, and co-develop strategies for the country’s Mangrove Blue Carbon Roadmap. The workshop highlighted the important role of collaboration among different institutions and the integration of science and policy in driving effective blue carbon ecosystem conservation and restoration efforts in the Philippines.
Mangrove Ecology 