Project Information
Implementing Agency: UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub
Executing Agency: PEMSEA Resource Facility
Funding Institution: Global Environment Facility
Participating ASEAN Member States: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam
Project duration: 5 years (January 2023 to December 2027)
Project Grant: USD 8,479,123
Project Co-financing: USD 106,985,192
The year 2023 marks the beginning of a breakthrough collaboration among six ASEAN member states (AMS) and development partners in Southeast Asia for the protection and management of select priority river basins that drain into four large marine ecosystems in the Southeast Asian Region: the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and Indonesian Sea.
Guided by the principle of source-to-sea system, the five-year regional project, Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) in ASEAN Countries, or IRBM Project, aims to establish functional IRBM mechanisms in priority river basins in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam for reducing pollution and sustaining freshwater environmental flows as well as adapting to climate change vulnerabilities.
The IRBM project is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of Asia (PEMSEA) Resource Facility, in collaboration with ASEAN.
Project Goal
To establish functional integrated river basin management mechanisms in priority river basins of six ASEAN countries for reducing pollution and sustaining freshwater environmental flows as well as adapting to climate change vulnerabilities.
This will be achieved through the application of a solution-oriented approach that combines:
- Efforts to improve understanding of the various source-to-sea governance, socioeconomic, ecological conditions, gaps and needs in the seven priority river basins and associated coastal areas;
- Implement pilot projects aimed at providing on-the-ground solutions to identified key issues in the seven priority river basins using proven templates to support replication and scaling up, and
- Hands-on training, experience building and information sharing in participatory planning, development and implementation of IRBM governance and management solutions across the 6 ASEAN countries.
Download the project brief here.
Project Publications
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IRBM: Inception Report
The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Project on Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) in the ASEAN Countries is a 5-year project (2023-2027) with the goal of establishing functional IRBM mechanisms in priority river basins/sub-basins in the six ASEAN Member States (AMS), i.e., Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines and Viet Nam, for reducing pollution and sustaining freshwater environmental flows as well as adapting to climate change vulnerabilities.
The Project is designed to improve governance and management arrangements in IRBM and accelerate the required changes in the six AMS in support of national priorities, objectives and commitments to global sustainable development targets using the source to sea (S2S) framework. The Project is organized into 4 components with 5 major outcomes and 20 key outputs to achieve the project goal and objective.
This Inception Report outlines the operational strategy and approaches of the Project and how it will be implemented in 2023-2027, particularly focusing on the initiation of project activities in 2023 at the regional level and in the priority river basins of the six participating AMS. The report also presents the key results and recommendations from the Regional Inception Workshop, including the proposed next steps, for review and approval of the RSC.
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IRBM Stories - Nam Tha River Basin: Shaping Culture and Harmony
Like in any other countries, water is essential to the life and culture of every Laotian. It drives the economy– from household and grassroots communities to national development.
Let us take you to the Nam Tha river basin in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and immerse in the story of how the river shapes the way of life of communities and its people.
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IRBM: Proceedings of the First Regional Steering Committee Meeting Proceedings
The First Regional Steering Committee (RSC) meeting of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Project on Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management in ASEAN Countries (IRBM Project) was held on February 17, 2023 in hybrid format, i.e., in-person component at Park Inn by Radisson in Manila, Philippines and via video conference (Zoom). The meeting was attended by the Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM); National Focal Points (NFPs) of the AWGWRM of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines and Viet Nam; representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat; the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok Regional Hub and UNDP Country Office in Indonesia and Lao PDR and the East Asian Seas Executive Committee (EAS EC). The Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU), hosted by PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF), served as Secretariat to the RSC.