Integrated River Basin Management Project Newsletter - Edition 8
PUBLICATION DATE:
Thursday, October 30, 2025
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project continued to gain progress in the third quarter of 2025 with strengthened partnerships, wider knowledge sharing, and more active participation in amplifying best practices and local stories across the ASEAN region.
In the Philippines, national implementation advanced with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and PEMSEA Resource Facility sustaining collaboration for project implementation in the Pasac–Guagua Watershed and Imus–Ylang Ylang–Rio Grande Rivers. Additionally, consultations in these two river basins helped identify priority issues for pilot project development and implementation, focusing on addressing water scarcity, improving wastewater management, and promoting nature-based solutions.
In Malaysia, coordination with government counterparts was carried out in preparation for the official launch and full-scale implementation of the Project along the Kedah River Basin. For each participating ASEAN Member State, multistakeholder workshops on Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus were held to gather local perspectives and anecdotal information on changes and trends, including gender responsive approaches, relating to water, energy, food, ecosystem, and disaster risk reduction, and potential synergies and trade-offs across these sectors.
At the regional level, the Project expanded its knowledge and capacity building network through initiation of the establishment of IRBM Learning Centers for the Project and linked to the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC). The Project also participated in key international and regional platforms—from Korea’s 20th anniversary celebration of Total Pollutant Loading Management to the GEF Project Oversight Training in the East Asian Seas Region held in the Philippines —sharing lessons learned and best practices on project oversight and implementation.
The Project also highlighted the importance of visual storytelling through local narratives that can drive understanding and action during the GEF IW:LEARN webinar. The Project was also able to profile the Imus-Ylang Ylang-Rio Grande Rivers in the Philippines highlighting community realities and the steps the government has initiated in conserving this river basin.
These collective efforts reflect a shared commitment to integrated and inclusive river basin management - one that bridges science, governance, and community voices to build a more resilient and sustainable future for ASEAN’s river basins and watersheds and associated coastal and marine areas.
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