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
Spanning five years, the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project takes a comprehensive approach to protection and conservation, focusing on priority river basins in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The project aims to reduce pollution, protect freshwater flows, and strengthen climate resilience.
This initiative influences four key large marine ecosystems—the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand, and Indonesian Sea—since the selected river basins in these countries drain into them. The project acknowledges the vital connection between river health, the well-being of marine environments, and the communities that rely on the resources that these critical bodies of water support.
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.
This graphic is not drawn to scale and is provided for illustration purposes only.
Project Goal
To establish functional IRBM mechanisms in the priority river basins of six ASEAN Member States to reduce pollution, sustain freshwater flows, and enhance resilience to climate change vulnerabilities
To achieve this goal, the project employs a solution-oriented approach that includes:
- Strengthening understanding of Source-to-Sea governance, socioeconomic and ecological conditions, while identifying gaps and needs in the seven priority river basins and their associated coastal areas
- Implementing pilot projects that deliver practical, on-the-ground solutions to address key issues, using tested models designed for replication and scaling up
- Facilitating hands-on training, capacity-building programs, and knowledge-sharing activities to support participatory planning and the development of effective IRBM governance and management practices across the six ASEAN countries.
Project Components
PROJECT OUTCOME 1:
Improved understanding of the situation and challenges in the river basins and surrounding areas:
- State of River Basin Reports
PROJECT OUTCOME 2:
Improved Source-to-Sea management demonstrated in the IRBM Pilot Projects:
- Feasibility studies, financial analyses, public consultations for preferred options for addressing IRBM challenges and formalizing the commitments to implement the pilot projects
IRBM governance mechanism and instruments refined:
- Good practices in IRBM governance and management
- Analysis of IRBM policies, strategies, laws, economic and financial instruments and partnership arrangements
- IRBM strategies and action plans
PROJECT OUTCOME 3:
Improved IRBM knowledge management and enabling capacities:
- Technical guide for a harmonized set of governance and management indicators
- Water quality monitoring and reporting
- Capacity building and skills on IRBM development and management
- Regional IRBM knowledge and communication management platform
- Regional and global forums, learning exchanges and networking
Project level monitoring and evaluation:
- Annual Project Implementation Review
- Independent mid-term and final evaluations
Project Publications
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.
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.
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.