2025 ICWPS Conference Details

The West Philippine Sea (WPS), which encompasses the maritime areas within the western exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, is part of the larger South China Sea that is highly significant for its strategic location and abundant natural resources. It is rich in coral reefs, marine species, oil, natural gas, and minerals, making it a valuable area for fishing and energy exploration. However, environmental issues such as overfishing, coral reef degradation, and pollution are significant concerns. These issues profoundly impact the marine ecosystem, commerce, and people’s economy.

Challenges remain on how to sustain and enhance the health and climate-resiliency of WPS, and to increase the production of the sea and its people. Global actions like the Paris Agreement acknowledge the need to protect all ecosystems, including the ocean. The Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group of G20 likewise recognizes the importance of ocean-related actions. The 2024 Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue emphasized the conservation, protection, and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems. The Glasglow Climate Pact of COP26 and COP27 underscored the critical role of the ocean and called for countries to include ocean-based actions in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

This  INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA (ICWPS) aims to present initiatives, research, and projects in the West Philippine Sea relevant to the sustainable management and inclusive growth of coastal marine areas and their people. In this conference, we will hear ideas and applications on ecological health, climate-smart approaches, benefits, economic and human dimensions, and sustainable management of coastal marine and small islands, reflecting them to the changing times and climate. The participants will gain information on recent trends, growth areas in WPS and their field of research and beyond. The event offers researchers and practitioners a chance to interact and share their knowledge, experiences, challenges, and way forward for WPS sustainable planning and development.

This conference serves as a venue to gather new ideas through a systems approach integrating multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary information to widely understand the West Philippine Sea from the perspective of research and development. The conference also serves as a means for scholars, the business sectors, governments, non-government organizations, and students from Universities across the globe to share their projects and research results, so that they can foster relations among universities, research institutions, and industries. The conference hopes to increase research impacts and enhance participants’ networks, especially the young and early careers. We will think through such opportunities to use science as a basis to facilitate environmental conservation, climate-smart seas, food security, income generation, policies, and develop industries in different parts of the sea.

Being adjacent to WPS, Western Philippines University institutionalized hosting the international conference on the West Philippine Sea every two years. The conference offers many invited keynote, plenary, and oral and poster presenters from the Philippines and around the world.

Oral and poster presentations of studies, interventions/projects, and marine spatial plans in the less known or unknown portions of the West Philippine Sea are preferred. Culture, socioeconomic, and coastal community studies in the West Philippine Sea areas are welcome. Studies conducted outside the West Philippine Sea, which could serve as case studies, action research, or models relevant to and can be duplicated in the sustainable development of the West Philippine Sea will be accepted.