Regional NGO Cooperation Forum for Sustainable Coastal Community
"Anchored in Community, Innovating for the Future"
Register Your InterestBuilding Coastal Resilience Together
The climate change crisis, marine resource depletion, and rapid coastal development are fundamentally reshaping the ecological and economic realities of coastal zones across the South China Sea region.
Community-based conservation, including mobilizing localized stewardship, leveraging ecological value while preserving local tradition and cultural strengths, represents a vital pathway toward rebuilding a sustainable relationship between humanity and the ocean.
Working alongside communities, NGOs serve as mobilizers of local governance, bridges that connect grassroots wisdom with government policies and regulations, and even defenders, when necessary, of traditional fishing grounds against external encroachment.
In today's landscape, NGOs must remain fiercely rooted in their long-term role to ensure that communities remain the unshakeable foundation of marine conservation, while striving to innovate by pioneering climate-adaptive concepts, building cross-sector networks, and engaging in new economic models that allow community livelihoods to weather climate-induced ecological and market shocks.
This forum brings together community-based marine conservation NGOs across the region to convene, share experiences, and learn from one another's journeys. It is designed to be a space for mutual learning, inspiration, and constructive debate, drawing collective strength to address our shared regional challenges. In tandem, this workshop will also mark the 2026 Annual Gathering of the Blue Climate Partnership.
Topics of Discussion
Advancing Policy Framework for Community-Led Participation
Exploring the dynamic interplay between grassroots action and national policy frameworks, ensuring localized conservation receives robust legal backing and institutional recognition.
Strengthening Community Governance and Capacity
Examining the complex internal dynamics of community-level resource management, fair enforcement, and the role of NGOs in supporting strong local institutions.
Building Resilient Livelihoods
Empowering sustainable and diversified coastal livelihoods beyond traditional fishing, addressing digital literacy, business management, and market access gaps.
Speakers & Dialogue Participants
Agenda at a Glance
Bridging the Gap: The Dynamic Interplay Between Grassroots Action and Policy Frameworks
Localized coastal conservation and community-led initiatives cannot achieve long-term durability without robust legal backing and institutional recognition. Conversely, forward-thinking public policy requires evidence-based proofs of concept from the ground to ensure practical viability. This session explores the dynamic relationship between grassroots NGO actions and national policy development.
Governing the Commons: Strengthening Internal Governance and Institutional Capacity
The success of community-led conservation relies fundamentally on the strength of community governance through local institutions. Without clear rules, fair enforcement, and strong leadership, these efforts risk collapsing due to internal conflicts or free-rider problems. This session explores the complex internal dynamics of community-level resource management and the role of NGOs in supporting them.
Beyond the Catch: Empowering Sustainable and Diversified Coastal Livelihoods
As traditional livelihoods in coastal communities face unprecedented, compounding pressures from marine resource depletion, climate-induced vulnerabilities, and external economic development, transitioning to greener, bluer, more sustainable and resilient alternatives is more urgent than ever. However, local communities often face severe capacity gaps in digital literacy, business management, and market access.
Anchoring the Future of Coastal Resilience
The future of sustainable coastal communities relies fundamentally on generational succession. As traditional fishing faces compounding ecological and economic pressures, the younger generation of fishers stands at a critical crossroads. This special dialogue brings together three representatives of the younger generation of fisherfolk to share their personal journeys and motivations for spearheading local conservation efforts.
Strengthening Collaboration, Capacity, and Networks for Stronger Impact
Frontline conservation cannot be sustained in isolation, but requires a robust, interconnected ecosystem of support. Philanthropic funders, capacity-building institutions, and regional networks are driving cross-sector exchange, institutional strengthening, and knowledge co-creation. This strategic dialogue brings together representatives from supporting partners to discuss their unique roles and examine emerging opportunities within capacity cultivation.
Join Us in Haikou
Be part of a growing regional movement for community-based marine conservation. Space is limited — register your interest today.
qiao.feng@chinablue.org.cn