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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The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System
The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System is intended for local governments and/or river basinorganizations in the East Asian Seas region currently or planning to implement integrated river basin management (IRBM)/integratedwater resources management (IWRM) programs. It provides guidance in establishing a regular monitoring, evaluation (M&E) and reporting mechanism, and discusses the requirements, the basis and importance of implementing and sustaining the SORB reporting system.
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IRBM Stories - Pasac-Guagua Watershed: A Sanctuary for Wildlife and People
Located in the central region of northern Philippines, the Pasac -Guagua Watershed is a critical source of water and livelihood that supports 152 villages within the watershed. It is one of the major river systems that drain to Manila Bay, considered the main harbor of the country that is connected to a larger marine ecosystem, that is, the South China Sea.
The Pasac-Guagua Watershed is also a biodiversity haven where a portion of it is an important migratory path for water birds. The protection and sustainable management of the watershed is essential not only for the communities and wildlife thriving in the area for coastal and marine ecosystems connected to the river.
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Integrated River Basin Management Project Newsletter - Edition 4
“Making Waves from Source to Sea” is the fourth edition of the Integrated River Basin Management Project’s newsletter, which highlights the different levels of key activities and milestones for the second year of the Project across the region. From the IRBM Project’s participation at the recently concluded 10th Biennial International Water Conference in Uruguay, to regional gender and social inclusion workshop in Indonesia, and river basin level consultation with indigenous leaders and other stakeholders — the IRBM Project is gaining more momentum to ensure impactful results in each site.
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IRBM: Proceedings of the Second Regional Steering Committee Meeting
The Second 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 (IRBM) in ASEAN Countries was
organized back-to-back with the 24th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources
Management (AWGWRM) on 2 July 2024 through a hybrid format, i.e., in-person at Bayon Era
Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia and online via Zoom.
Hosted by the Royal Government of Cambodia through the Ministry of Environment (MOE),
the meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, Chair of the ASEAN Working Group
on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM) and Mr. Gerd Trogemann, Manager of United
Nations Development Programme-Bangkok Regional Hub of Asia and the Pacific (UNDP-BRH).
The meeting was attended by the National Focal Points (NFPs) of the AWGWRM from the
ten (10) ASEAN Member States (AMS), i.e., Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao
PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC),
the East Asian Seas Executive Committee (EAS EC) and UNDP-BRH. The Regional Project
Management Unit (RPMU), hosted by PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) and MOE Cambodia
served as Secretariat to the RSC meeting. -
Integrated River Basin Management Project Newsletter - Edition 3
"Collaboration Beyond Boundaries" is the third edition of the Integrated River Basin Management Project, which highlights the coming together of governments and partners from ASEAN member states for the regional workshop on the State of River Basin and the 2nd Regional Steering Committee Meeting. Cooperation among national and local partners continue to drive the implementation of the Project in four priority river basins while the remaining three are gearing for implementation in the second half of 2024.