The 19th WEPA Annual Meeting and International Workshop
15 February 2024
Overview
From January 30th to February 1st, 2024, the 19th WEPA Annual Meeting and International Workshop were held in Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan, organized by the Ministry of the Environment. On the first day of the Annual Meeting, the WEPA Secretariat reported the WEPA activities in 2023, and WEPA focal point (FP) from Lao PDR presented the outcomes of this year's action programs. While the previous annual meetings this phase have alternately focused on domestic and industrial wastewater management, this year, being the final year of this phase, the emphasis was placed on "water environment" itself. It allowed the WEPA FPs to exchange information on current challenges faced by each partner country. During the International Workshop on the second day, based on the theme of this phase, "Regulation and Compliance," case study presentations were delivered by Korea, Sri Lanka, and Japan. The experts from three countries presented cases of water environmental policy formulation and revision in recent years. Additionally, Japan, as the host country, showcased initiatives such as Asia Wastewater Management Partnership (AWaP) and Sustainable Nitrogen Management, aiming to improve the water environment. On the third day, the WEPA FPs visited sewage treatment plants and wastewater/sludge treatment facilities in Yokosuka City and Yokohama City, comparing decentralized and centralized wastewater treatment system. A total of 12 countries participated in this annual meeting.
- Venue
- Shonan village center, Hayama, Japan・Online (Hybrid)
- Participants
- WEPA Advisory Board Members, WEPA partner countries (12 countries) and experts from Korea
- Organizers
- Ministry of the Environment, Japan
WEPA Secretariat - Language
- English
- Chairperson of the Annual Meeting
- Prof. Mitsumasa Okada (Chairman of WEPA Advisory Board, Professor Emeritus of Hiroshima University)
Program and presentation materials (Annual Meeting on 31 January)
Opening remarks
Prof. Mitsumasa Okada (Chairman of the WEPA Advisory Board)
Mr. Seiji Tsutsui (Director, Environmental Management Division, Ministry of the Environment, Japan)
Session 1: Progress of WEPA activities in FY2023
Report from WEPA Secretariat
Yukako Inamura (WEPA Secretariat)
Report of WEPA Action Program in Lao PDR
Mr. Sengkeo Tasaketh (Department of Natural Resources and Environment Inspection, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment)
Discussion
Session 2: Updates on Water Enviornment in WEPA Partner Countries
Viet Nam
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Philippines
Q & A
Nepal
Malaysia
Lao PDR
Q & A
Republic of Korea
Japan
Indonesia
China
Cambodia
Q & A
Session 3: Plans for the coming year
Plan for the coming year
Mr. Fumiaki Hasegawa (Ministry of the Environment, Japan)
Discussion
Closing remarks
Prof. Mitsumasa Okada (Chairman of WEPA Advisory Board)
Program and presentation materials (International Workshop on 31 January)
Opening remarks
Mr. Yasuo Takahashi (IGES, Executive Director)
Review of WEPA 1 – 4 phases
Changes in governance/policies in member countries
Pankaj Kumar (WEPA Secretariat)
Case study 1
Implementing TMDL in Republic of Korea
Dr. Suyoung Park (National Institute of Environmental Research, Republic of Korea)
Case study 2
Setting tolerance limits for discharge of wastewater or effluent on land for agriculture purposes
Dr. Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Sanjaya Kumara Ratnayake (Central Environmental Authority, Sri Lanka)
Case study 3
Introducing the standard for Bottom Dissolved Oxygen in Closed Water
Dr. Sui Kanazawa (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan)
Discussion
Asia Wastewater Management Partnership (AWaP)
Mr. Makoto Kudo (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan)
Sewerage Works in Yokohama
Mr. Akihito Kubota (City of Yokohama)
Introduction of Japanese Johkasou
Mr. Ryoma Sato (Ministry of the Environment, Japan)
Technologies to conserve water environment in Japan 1
Mikuniya Corporation
Technologies to conserve water environment in Japan 2
Daiki AXIS
Technologies to conserve water environment in Japan 3
HORIBA Advanced Techno
Sustainable Nitrogen Management
Mr. Yu Kamei (Ministry of the Environment, Japan)
10th WWF in Bali, Indonesia
Pham Ngoc-Bao (WEPA Secretariat)
Final message and closing remarks
Prof. Motoyuki Suzuki (Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo, Special Advisor of WEPA Advisory Board)