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Jakarta, 27 November 2025 - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Government of Japan, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) convened the ASEAN Regional Workshop on Blue Carbon and Finance Profiling on 27–28 November in Jakarta, to better connect science and policy for coastal and freshwater climate action.

Hosted at the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), the regional event is part of the ASEAN Blue Carbon and Finance Profiling (ABCF) Project, a Government of Japan-funded regional initiative implemented by UNDP Indonesia with the ASEAN Coordinating Task Force on Blue Economy (ACTF-BE). The project helps countries better understand the condition and economic value of their coastal and blue ecosystems so they can design more practical policies and attract financing for their protection and restoration.

30 technical experts from 11 ASEAN Member States gathered to compare data collection methods, review methodologies, and shape the development of 11 national Blue Carbon Profiles and 11 national Blue Finance Profiles, along with two corresponding regional profiles. The profiles are expected to be launched in March 2026, and will give governments clearer insights into their blue carbon assets and financing needs, supporting practical policymaking on coastal protection and restoration, strengthening climate strategies, and guiding investments in sustainable blue economy sectors.

Coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass meadows and peatlands remain among the region’s most valuable yet vulnerable natural assets. They provide significant carbon storage capacity, support fisheries, protect coastlines from erosion, and underpin coastal livelihoods. However, they continue to face pressure from land conversion, pollution, and climate-related impacts. The ABCFP aims to close critical knowledge and financing gaps by mapping blue ecosystem potential, identifying enabling policy conditions, and outlining pathways for public, private, and innovative financing solutions.

Opening the workshop on behalf of ASEAN as the Shepherd of the ACTF-BE, Dr. Eka Chandra Buana, Deputy Minister for Macro Development Planning of BAPPENAS, underscored that advancing blue carbon and blue finance is central to ASEAN’s broader blue economy agenda. “This workshop demonstrates how ASEAN Member States can work collectively to strengthen shared knowledge and develop approaches that support sustainable development across the region,” he stated.

In his remarks, Mr. Chujo Kazuo, Minister/Deputy Chief of Mission, Mission of Japan to ASEAN, reaffirmed Japan’s long-standing partnership with ASEAN and its commitment to support ASEAN’s efforts in advancing a sustainable blue economy. He stated, “Japan places great value on collaboration with regional partners and local experts. We believe that expertise must be grounded in local knowledge, and policy must be shaped through regional ownership.” He further emphasized Japan’s outlook for the partnership moving forward: “The work ahead is complex, but the potential impact is transformative. Through this project, we are taking a crucial step to protect vital ecosystems, strengthen climate resilience, create sustainable economic opportunities, and uphold the prosperity and security of our region.”

UNDP Indonesia Deputy Resident Representative, Ms. Sujala Pant, highlighted the depth of regional collaboration behind the profiling effort. She noted: “The profiling work has engaged 98 individual experts, representing 35 academic and research institutions across ASEAN and Timor-Leste. This is a significant scientific community for the region, and the network that has emerged through this initiative can continue to support the ACTF-BE as it advances its work.” She also underscored the purpose of the two-day working session: “This workshop is designed as a working space—an opportunity to refine the drafts, strengthen assumptions, and identify linkages between the carbon and finance analyses, while also understanding regional commonalities and trends.”

Throughout the event, participants engaged in technical exchanges on data integration, valuation methods, and financing frameworks, ensuring that the final products become practical tools for national and regional decision-making.

The ABCFP forms part of the broader Japan–ASEAN Blue Economy Cooperation initiative, which aims to enhance regional collaboration, scale nature-based climate solutions, and support a resilient and inclusive blue economy across ASEAN.

Media Contacts:Nabilla Rahmani, Head of Communications, UNDP Indonesia, [email protected]

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter like PM_2.5 components in polluted air can not only cause respiratory diseases, but also increase the risk of depression in older people, especially in those living with preexisting heart, metabolic and neurological conditions.

Depression has caused more loss of healthy life worldwide than any other mental health condition. This disorder has snatched away people's will to perform the basics of daily activities. An analysis of global health data in 2021 showed that all the years people lived with disability or reduced quality of life because of depression added up to about 56.3 million years.

A recent population-based cohort study collected data from nearly 23.7 million U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older between 2000 and 2018 to examine specific components of PM_2.5 exposure, both individually and in combination, and its associations with the risk of developing depression. Among those tracked, more than 5.5 million developed depression during the follow-up period. These findings are published in JAMA Network Open.

Diving deeper into the data revealed that those people living in areas with higher levels of fine air pollution were more likely to develop depression. A combination of specific components was more strongly linked to depression than overall pollution levels alone, and with every quartile increase in exposure to this mixture, the risk of developing depression rose by about 7%.

Fine particulate matter strikes again

Air pollution isn't caused by a single type of pollutant, it's a cocktail of invisible gases and fine particulate matter released from anthropogenic activities. Among them, PM_2.5—fine particulate matter that is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter—is the most damaging when inhaled. Particles classified as are so small that they can penetrate the bloodstream and the lungs and even bypass the blood–brain barrier.

They can also trigger inflammation and oxidative stress, which is even more dangerous for people with existing comorbidities.

A growing body of research suggests that air pollution may play a role in depression. Several studies have linked exposure to polluted air to a higher risk of developing the condition, with many pointing to PM_2.5 as a key concern. However, not much was known about the specific components that were behind the increased odds of developing depression.

To find an answer, the researchers analyzed nationwide Medicare data from older adults across the United States. The team estimated each participant's yearly exposure to PM_2.5 and other air pollution components based on where they lived and then identified new cases of depression. The data was then fed through different statistical tools to reveal the links between air pollution and depression.

They found that long-term exposure to PM_2.5, particularly its sulfate, elemental carbon, and soil dust components, was associated with an increased risk of depression. The results also indicated that the association was more pronounced among older adults with existing metabolic, cardiovascular, or brain-related conditions.

The findings exposed one more pathway by which air pollution can affect a person's quality of life. Ensuring better public health requires stricter regulation of ambient PM_2.5, particularly from fossil-fuel combustion and vehicular emissions.

Written for you by our author Sanjukta Mondal, edited by Lisa Lock, and fact-checked and reviewed by Andrew Zinin—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.

Yanling Deng et al, Exposure to Multiple Fine Particulate Matter Components and Incident Depression in the US Medicare Population, JAMA Network Open (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.51042