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Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management in ASEAN Countries

The overall objective of the IRBM project, as stated in the approved Project Information Form (PIF), is to improve integrated water resources management, reduce pollution loads from nutrients and other land-based activities, sustain freshwater environmental flows and reduce climate vulnerability through demonstrations and replications, planning and strengthening of integrated river basin management in 7 countries in the East Asian Seas.

IRBM is defined as the process of coordinating conservation, management and development of water, land, and related resources across sectors within a given river basin, to maximize the economic and social benefits derived from water resources in an equitable manner while preserving and, where necessary, restoring freshwater ecosystems (Global Water Partnership 2000). In the context of this project, IRBM is also being applied in support of a “source-to-sea” management approach. This means that the project will not only pilot and upscale integrated management of priority river basins and their water, land, and related resources, but also combine the protection and management of coastal ecosystems and resources in receiving seas and oceans, which are being/could be adversely affected by hydrological, physical, chemical, and/or biological conditions in river discharges.

The project is being developed to demonstrate enhanced capacities in understanding and management of the water/food/energy/ecosystem nexus in the pilot sites. Water security, energy security and food security in freshwater, land and marine ecosystems are inextricably linked and actions in any one area will usually have impacts in one or both others. A nexus perspective increases the understanding of the interdependencies across the water, energy, and food sectors and, as such, influences policies in other areas of concern, such as climate and biodiversity. The nexus perspective also requires transitioning beyond silos that preclude interdisciplinary solutions, thus increasing opportunities for mutually beneficial responses and enhancing the potential for cooperation between and among all sectors.

 

As of September 2017, the project is under the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) phase (August 2017 to July 2018) during which a full Project Document will be developed under the auspices of UNDP. PEMSEA has been contracted to lead the PPG phase in collaboration with the national authorities and their national consultants in the 7 ASEAN Countries in the development of the Project Document.

 

Project Identification Form (PIF)

  • GEF approved PIF

Regional Inception Workshop
29-30 August 2017, PEMSEA Office Building, Manila, Philippines 

  • Meeting Documents

  • PPTs

  • Workshop Report

  • Photos

National Inception Workshop Reports (September – October 2017)

  • Cambodia (5 October 2017, Kampot)

  • Indonesia (TBD)

  • Lao PDR (28-29 September 2017, Loungnamtha)

  • Malaysia (TBD)

  • Myanmar (26 September 2017, Naypyitaw)

  • Philippines (TBD)

  • Viet Nam (TBD)

Reference Documents

  • STAP Report on Conceptual Framework on Source-to-Sea Continuum (2017)

  • Global Water Partnership TAC Report (2000)

Regional Project Development Team in PEMSEA