Blue carbon management integrating socioeconomic and environmental interconnectivity in Southeast Asia: an urgent climate priority

Becker, Amani; Bercovici, Sarah K.; Choo, Jenny; Fakhrurrozi, Fakhrurrozi; Fong, Annabelle; Fowell, Sara E.; Hossain, Emmy; Hussein, Muhammad Ali Syed; Jamilah, Maryam; Mujahid, Aazani; Müller, Moritz; Ooi, Jillian Lean Sim; Quiros, T. E. Angela L.; Richard, Florina; Saleh, Ejria; Chee, Su Yin; Then, Amy Yee-Hui; Ticman, Kristina; Wee, Julia Lih Suan; Wong, Changi; Affendi, Yang Amri; Yap, Tzuen Kiat; Yoshikai, Masaya; Yusri, Safran; Evans, Claire

Blue carbon management integrating socioeconomic and environmental interconnectivity in Southeast Asia: an urgent climate priority

Becker, Amani; Bercovici, Sarah K.; Choo, Jenny; Fakhrurrozi, Fakhrurrozi; Fong, Annabelle; Fowell, Sara E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9835-4725; Hossain, Emmy; Hussein, Muhammad Ali Syed; Jamilah, Maryam; Mujahid, Aazani; Müller, Moritz; Ooi, Jillian Lean Sim; Quiros, T. E. Angela L.; Richard, Florina; Saleh, Ejria; Chee, Su Yin; Then, Amy Yee-Hui; Ticman, Kristina; Wee, Julia Lih Suan; Wong, Changi; Affendi, Yang Amri; Yap, Tzuen Kiat; Yoshikai, Masaya; Yusri, Safran; Evans, Claire ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0569-7057. 2025 Blue carbon management integrating socioeconomic and environmental interconnectivity in Southeast Asia: an urgent climate priority. Frontiers in Marine Science, 12. 10.3389/fmars.2025.1642387

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© 2025 Becker, Bercovici, Choo, Fakhrurrozi, Fong, Fowell, Hossain, Hussein, Jamilah, Mujahid, Müller, Ooi, Quiros, Richard, Saleh, Chee, Then, Ticman, Wee, Wong, Affendi, Yap, Yoshikai, Yusri and Evans. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1642387

Abstract/Summary

This perspective article synthesises insights from a 2023 interdisciplinary workshop in Kuching, Malaysia, where 26 experts examined how land use and land cover change (LULCC) impacts Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCE) in Southeast Asia (SEA) and identified pathways for integrated, science-informed governance. BCE in SEA (mangroves, seagrasses and tidal wetlands) are globally significant carbon sinks, critical to biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions, dependant on them for food, income and coastal protection. Yet rapid development and socio-economically driven LULCC threaten BCE resilience and carbon storage capacity. Blue Carbon initiatives risk falling short if they overlook the socio-ecological interconnectivity of these systems. Advances in remote sensing, sediment carbon accounting and ecosystem modelling have improved BCE monitoring, but key gaps persist. These include understanding cumulative upstream effects of LULCC on BCE carbon dynamics, integrating socio-economic with ecological data for robust scenario modelling and evaluating governance effectiveness and equity over time. We frame BCE as dynamic, interconnected socio-ecological systems and call for the advancement of systems thinking in coastal and climate policy. We underscore the need for transdisciplinary, nested governance models operating across ecological scales and political boundaries and argue for a systems-based management approach that links land-sea processes, addresses upstream-downstream dynamics and balances carbon market incentives with local needs. Recommendations include improved monitoring and carbon accounting; alignment between science and policy; regionally coordinated governance; and diversifying finance to reflect the full value of BCE beyond carbon. Together, these actions chart a path for resilient, science-based, socially inclusive BCE conservation in SEA.

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.3389/fmars.2025.1642387

ISSN:

2296-7745

Additional Keywords:

blue carbon ecosystems (BCE), land use land cover change (LULCC), source to sea, integrated governance, science-policy alignment

NORA Subject Terms:

Marine Sciences

Date made live:

29 Oct 2025 17:57 +0 (UTC)