Do you recognize? Southeast Asia has one of the vital invaluable natural treasures of the Earth: Blue Carbon. South -East Asia shouldn’t be only wealthy in biological diversity, but in addition stores the stunning 37% of world mapping forests and 23% global meadows of sea grass, which makes it the most important heavenly coal tank on the planet.
But paradoxically, this region also belongs to people experiencing the very best indicators of the degradation of the coastal ecosystem. In the years 2002–2012 2.5 million hectares of mangrove were lost, and sea grass beds were shrinking at a mean pace of 20,000 hectares a yr.
What drives this loss? A mixture of intensive coastal development, pollution and climate change – including growing sea levels.
What is blue coal and why is it vital?
Blue Carbon refers to carbonal dioxide and stored by coastal and sea ecosystems, equivalent to mangroves, salt wetlands and sea grasses. These ecosystems are extremely efficient in coal sequencing, as much as 10 times more per unit of surface than tropical rainforests. They store coal in each plants biomass and sediments below.
But their role goes beyond the absorption of coal. Namoczyn and sea grasses also help filter water, provide vital habitats of marine life and protect the coast from storms and powerful waves. For example, during Tsunami in 2004 at ACEH BESAR, Indonesia, villages surrounded by 200 meters of mangroves suffered much less damage than neighboring areas without these natural barriers.
However, there’s a darker side. When coal ecosystems are damaged, the stored carbon might be released back into the atmosphere, deterioration of worldwide warming.
Even worse, climate change accelerates their destruction. Increasing temperatures, changes in water salinity and more intense storms weaken these ecosystems, which makes them more prone to erosion and lack of habitats.
Field challenges: between development and protection
Many coastal communities in Southeast Asia directly depend on the resources supplied by mangrove and sea grasses to take care of them. However, activities equivalent to agriculture, shrimp breeding and industrial development still drive the destruction of those critical ecosystems.
Despite the large potential of blue coal, only a couple of countries of Southeast Asia officially recognized it of their plans for climate activities (contribution within the country/NDC) under the Paris Agreement. Countries equivalent to Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Timor-Weste and Vietnam included Blue Coal Ecosystems of their national plans.
However, only Timor-W-West and Vietnam clearly discover these ecosystems as natural coal sinks. Others only recognize the importance of their protection and restoration, without the total use of their coal capability.
New ASEAN initiative: Blue Carbon and Finance profiling project
There are excellent news. On May 21, 2025, ASEAN along with the Japan and UNDP government officially launched the ASEAN Blue Carbon and Finance (ABCF) profiling project in Jakart. This is a big step forward within the collective effort of Southeast Asia to administer blue coal in a balanced and integrated way.
What is that this project geared toward? Wide range of activities, including:
- Mapping and assessment of the carbon value stored in coastal ecosystems using satellite technology and data on the realm,
- Developing modern financing strategies to make sure protective activities in the sector of economic development.
The project will even be supported by Member States ASEAN and Timor-Wood, helping them in:
- Strengthen the technical capability in measuring blue coal stocks,
- Formulate national and regional policies based on scientific data,
- And most significantly, gain access to international climate funds to revive coastal ecosystems.
Towards the blue and balanced future
Southeast Asia is home to the extraordinary ecological wealth, which makes it a world hotspot for the biological diversity and a key coal tank. However, without proper protection, the region may lose as much as 42% of its species until the top of this age. And with some fastest tasty coastal cities on the earth, it is vitally prone to climate -related disasters.
Initiatives equivalent to ABCF offer renovated hope. By combining science, politics and finance, the project can function a world model of blue coal management. In addition, the rising blue coal market can turn out to be a invaluable stream of revenues for countries investing in protection.
