The SEAFDEC Training Department, represented by Ms. Suwanee Sayan, Senior Project Planning and Management Officer, participated in the Regional Workshop on the Implementing Partnership Modality (OPIM) and its Management from 27 to 31 October 2025 in Nanchang, China. The workshop aimed to strengthen FAO Implementing Partnerships by reviewing past best practices and introducing the new Manual Section 701 (2025), which features updated agreements and a flexible, risk-based approach. Participants followed a learning path covering key policy updates, engaged in practical exercises such as case studies and a board game to test decision-making and risk management, and shared experiences from GEF-funded projects and other regional and global partnerships through discussions and FAO’s Implementing Partnership Marketplace.
Participants also visited several sites to observe practical applications of project interventions. At Shahu Mountain, Lushan City, they learned about community alternative livelihoods and wetland conservation efforts at the Poyang Lake Nature Reserve under the FAO GEF Jiangxi Wetland Protected Area System Demonstration Project. A rice–duck–fish livelihood program was implemented with the Shahu Protection Station community to align with the Ten-Year Fishing Ban, helping local fishers transition to rice cultivation and poultry farming, supporting alternative livelihoods while strengthening relationships between the reserve and surrounding communities. At the Wucheng Conservation & Management Station and Wetland & Migratory Bird Education Center, participants observed Poyang Lake’s wetland resources, human geography, flora and fauna, and ongoing conservation work through digital sand tables, wintering bird specimens, and real-time lake video feeds. Special attention was given to the conservation of Jiangxi’s provincial bird, the Siberian Crane, and the Yangtze Finless Porpoise. The FAO GEF project supported the center’s design and the construction of the third-floor Porpoise Gallery.
