The 20th WEPA Annual Meeting and International Workshop
07 March 2025
Overview
The 20th WEPA Annual Meeting and International Workshop was held on February 24-25, 2025, in Vientiane, Lao PDR, organized by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Lao PDR, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and the WEPA Secretariat. The event focused on addressing water degradation in watersheds, highlighting the need for integrated measures to tackle pollution from multiple sources. The importance of pollutant load reduction and pollution inventory analysis in policy development was also discussed. Representatives from 13 partner countries, along with experts and stakeholders, participated both in person and online. The first day featured WEPA's activity reports and partner country policy updates, while the second day included keynote speech from by Dr. Hiroaki Tanaka (Kyoto University) and guest experts, focusing on watershed policies and water pollution reduction. An interactive session followed, fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration among participants.
- Venue
- DoubleTree by Hilton, Vientiane, Lao PDR・Online (Hybrid)
- Participants
- WEPA Advisory Board Members, WEPA partner countries (13 countries), and guest experts
- Organizers
- Ministry of the Environment, Japan
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Lao PDR
WEPA Secretariat - Language
- English
- Chairperson of the Annual Meeting
- Prof. Hiroaki Tanaka (WEPA Advisory Board member, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University)
Program and presentation materials (Annual Meeting on 24 February)
Opening remarks
Mr. Aloune Sayavong (Deputy Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment Inspection of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Lao PDR)
Ms. Keiko Yoshikawa (Director, Environmental Management Division, Ministry of the Environment, Japan)
Prof. Hiroaki Tanaka (Chairman of WEPA Advisory Board, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University)
Session 1: Progress of WEPA activities in FY2024
Report from WEPA Secretariat
Yukako Inamura (WEPA Secretariat)
Report of WEPA Action Program in Thailand
Dr. Nuttakan Wongfun (Director of Inland Water Subdivision, Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand)
Report of WEPA Action Program in Malaysia and the Philippines (Multilateral)
Yukako Inamura (WEPA Secretariat)
Discussion
Session 2: Update reports from partner countries (Water environmental policies in a selected watershed)
Cambodia
China
Indonesia
Japan
Q & A
Republic of Korea
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Myanmar
Q & A
Nepal
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Viet Nam
Q & A
Session 3: Wrap-up and closing remarks
Wrap-up of the day
Yukako Inamura (WEPA Secretariat)
Prof. Hiroaki Tanaka (WEPA Advisory Board member)
Program and presentation materials (International Workshop on 25 February)
Opening remarks
Mr. Sengkeo Tasaketh (MONRE, Lao PDR)
Keynote speech
Japanese Approach of Pollutant Load Reduction to Achieve Environmental Water Quality Goals
Dr. Hiroaki Tanaka, (Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University and WEPA Advisory Board member)
Discussion
Basin-wide Management Lecture 1
Environmental Status of the Mekong River and Regional Collaboration for Sustainable Development in the Mekong River Basin
Dr. Pinida Leelapanang Kamphaengthong (Chief Environmental Management officer, Mekong River Commission)
Discussion
Basin-wide Management Lecture 2
Water Pollution Loading Inventory: Understanding Pollution Sources and Quantification
Dr. Tjandra Setiadi, (Professor, Institute Teknologi Bandung)
Discussion
Presenting the WEPA Outlook
Sui Kanazawa (WEPA Secretariat)
Discussion
Group work / Discussion and presentation on watershed water management
Wrap-up and general discussions
Facilitated by Pankaj Kumar (WEPA Secretariat)
Closing remarks
Ngoc-Bao Pham (WEPA Secretariat)