1. 20th WEPA Annual Meeting and International Workshop in Vientiane, Lao PDR
2. Visiting sludge management plant and beverage factory in Vientiane
3. Action Program in Thailand
4. WEPA Outlook on Water Environmental Management in Asia 2024
5. Accessing information on Outlook, Action Program, and Annual Meeting |
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| 1. 20th WEPA Annual Meeting |
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The 20th WEPA Annual Meeting and International Workshop, organized by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Inspection of
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Lao PDR, the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ), and
the WEPA Secretariat, was held on 24-25 February 2025 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. This event focused on comprehensive water environment
management within the basin and emphasized the importance of pollution inventory analysis in formulating policies to reduce
pollutant loads from various sources.
Focal Points from 13 partner countries, WEPA Advisory board members, experts, and officials from Lao PDR, and other stakeholders attended
in person, with online participation also available.
On the first day, the Annual Meeting featured WEPA’s activity reports on FY2024 from the WEPA Secretariat and updates on
policies from the partner countries sharing progress on water policies, water quality improvements, current challenges,
and future directions. The second day’s International Workshop, with keynote speech from Dr. Hiroaki Tanaka (Kyoto University)
and expert lectures from Dr. Pinida Kamphaengthong (Mekong River Basin Commission) and Dr. Tjandra Setiadi (Institute Teknologi Bandung),
focused on watershed policies and water pollution reduction. Following this, an interactive session was held where representatives
from the partner countries were divided into groups and given a watershed scenario to discuss identified issues, key stakeholders,
potential policies and measures, as well as any challenges that may arise during implementation of these measures.
The workshop concluded successfully, having fostered knowledge-sharing and collaboration among participants.
For more information and access to presentation materials, visit the WEPA website:
WEPA meeting .
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| 2. Visiting sludge management plant and beverage factory in Vientiane |
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Following the 20th Annual Meeting and International Workshop, a technical tour was organized in coordination with
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Lao PDR on 26 February 2025. In the morning, participants
visited the KM21 sludge treatment plant, which is the fecal sludge treatment facility in Lao PDR and serves Vientiane City.
The facility produces organic fertilizers from treated sludge of about 400 tons/year, which are sold to various plantations.
In the afternoon, participants toured the Lao Coca-Cola Bottling Company Limited factory, which has been operational since
August 2015, serving Lao and northeast Thailand. Participants observed the wastewater treatment plant operations, where two
Sequential Batch Reactor Systems (SBR) are used for treatment. Tests conducted by SGS Thailand and the Department of Natural
Resources and Environment of Vientiane Capital confirmed that the facility's effluent meets the standards. Participants also
observed the factory's water supply system, which utilizes reverse osmosis technology.
The technical tour was an enriching experience for participants, providing insights into the current wastewater management
systems for both domestic and industrial wastewater in a Mekong River country. They learned about operations at both facilities,
various challenges faced, and future expansion plans. Participants were proactive in asking questions, which the operations
managers enthusiastically answered and clarified. The tour also facilitated knowledge-sharing, as participants exchanged
expertise and experiences from their respective countries with the operations managers of the two facilities.
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3. Action Program in Thailand |
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The Water Environment Partnership in Asia (WEPA), in close collaboration with the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of Thailand's
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) (WEPA's focal point in Thailand) is preparing to launch the "WEPA Action Program in Thailand"
in early fiscal year 2025 (starting from April 2025). This program aims to enhance the overall water environment management
in Thailand, with special focus on managing pollution sources and enhancing pollution load control across river basins in
Thailand. This two-year Thai Action Program (Thai AP) is currently in the final stages of proposal development.
Preparations are underway this fiscal year to finalize the implementation plan for FY2025-2026. This plan includes the development
of technical guidelines for pollution load control mechanisms, based on robust scientific evidence, to be prepared through
close collaboration between the PCD, the WEPA Secretariat, and other key stakeholders in both Thailand and Japan.
Key challenges to Thailand's water environment include managing pollution sources, improving pollution load control, and
strengthening overall management systems for entire river basins. The Thai AP is designed to address these challenges by
providing sustainable, scientifically-based solutions tailored to the specific local contexts within Thailand.
To refine the proposal for the Thai AP, representatives from the PCD, the Sustainable Environmental Research Institute (SERI)
at Chulalongkorn University, and the WEPA Secretariat gathered in Thailand on 13-14 January 2024 to discuss the detailed
contents and obtain a consensus on the proposal, including objectives, scope, planned activities, and expected outcomes.
After the meeting, the team also conducted a site visit to automatic water quality monitoring stations on the Chao Phraya River,
which is under consideration as a potential target basin for the program.
Looking ahead, WEPA plans to facilitate a series of exchange meetings and workshops, which will be designed to foster knowledge
sharing and the exchange of best practices in pollution load management among WEPA partner countries, offering valuable insights
for Thailand. The WEPA Secretariat also intends to facilitate a series of meetings to support the development of the aforementioned
technical guidelines, ensuring their practicality and effectiveness.
WEPA remains committed to ongoing coordination with all relevant stakeholders and will provide the necessary support to ensure
the Thai AP delivers significant, positive impacts, thereby contributing to the overall improvement of water environment management
throughout the country.
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4. WEPA Outlook on Water Environmental Management in Asia 2024 |
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WEPA has been publishing the WEPA Outlook periodically since 2009 to provide up-to-date information on water environment management in Asia.
This year, we are pleased to announce the release of the sixth edition, WEPA Outlook 2024.
WEPA Outlook serves as a comprehensive resource that compiles the current state, progress, and challenges of water environment management in
WEPA partner countries. It aims to support policymakers and experts by offering valuable insights and facilitating information-sharing among
stakeholders. The 2024 edition builds upon the previous 2021 edition with several key improvements.
One of the major updates is the addition of information on the role of local governments and local ordinances in water environment management.
In previous editions, capacity development of local governments was sometimes reported as a challenge. Recognizing the importance of local-level
governance, the new edition includes insights into how local governments contribute to water management in each country. Another improvement
concerns surface water quality management. While previous editions primarily focused on listing environmental quality standards, WEPA Outlook 2024
categorizes the designated water use purposes associated with these standards, making the information more practical and accessible.
Additionally, the new edition provides the initiatives of pollution load control systems, such as TMDL and TPLCS, which have been widely discussed
within WEPA. Given the high level of interest in these systems among WEPA partner countries, this Outlook identifies which countries have implemented
pollution load control and summarizes their approaches. Furthermore, information related to SDG targets for 2030 has been systematically compiled to
enhance understanding of progress toward sustainable water environment management.
WEPA Outlook 2024 is scheduled for publication on the WEPA website (Publication section) in mid-March. We hope that this publication will continue to
serve as a valuable reference for those engaged in water environment management. Please take a moment to explore the WEPA Outlook 2024.
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5. Accessing information on Outlook, Action Program, and Annual Meeting |
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The one of the main objectives of WEPA is to provide information to understand the water environment and develop the necessary policies to protect it.
In WEPA News #43 we introduced how to access the old database that includes information about technologies in operation and past case studies,
following the renewal of the WEPA website in March 2023. This time we would like to introduce you to meetings involving WEPA, Action Program (AP) and WEPA Outlook.
When you access the
WEPA website , you will find five tabs for our main activities. Please click the relevant tab for the information you wish to access.
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WEPA Meeting: You can find summaries and all meeting materials by choosing the relevant meeting.
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WEPA Action Program: You can find information about six WEPA APs implemented in the 3rd and 4th Phases.
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WEPA Outlook: The latest outlook is Outlook 2024, and it will be uploaded on our website in the middle of March.
To read or download, move the cursor to the publication tab and click on it. This will take you to the publication page.
If you move the cursor over the publication again, Outlook (in PDF) will open. You can read it online or download it.
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Call for your contribution to WEPA News! (Please send us any updated information) |
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We are seeking a cooperative agenda with partners. To ensure smooth progress, we welcome information on any new developments on water
environmental governance in your country. If you have any related information, please send it to the WEPA Secretariat by email
< WEPA_secretariat@iges.or.jp >.
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